ISC West is the Super Bowl of security conferences—if the Super Bowl had more fluorescent lighting, fewer snacks, and way more signage shouting things like “AI-Powered Threat Detection” in 400-point font.

It was loud. But not just in volume—loud in that way where everything is trying to out-tech, out-flash, and out-keyword each other. And yet... it all felt kind of the same.

Same color palettes. Same jargon. Same blue techy stock photos…

Actual signage from ISC West 2025 — not trying to roast anyone, just making a point.

The signage, the messaging, the branding—even the people. After a while, you could swap logos between booths and no one would notice. Not because they weren’t trying—just because they were all trying the exact same way.

And the whole time, I kept coming back to my favorite question:
What’s missing?

That’s the lens I bring to just about everything—as a marketer, a strategist, and someone who never grew out of her “but why” phase.

What’s not being said?
Who’s not being seen?
How could this be more thoughtful, more effective, more… human?

Because for all the bold taglines and “future-proof” promises, what I didn’t see—or feel—was any real recognition of the humans this tech is supposed to protect. Or any sense of unique brand personality (with the exception of The Boring Lab’s little corner in the Milestone System booth, obviously).

The messaging was loud. But it wasn’t really saying anything.

I mean, “Discover The Power of Truth”… someone please tell me what that means.

I couldn’t help but wonder: what’s contributing to all of this sameness and what would lend it a fresh perspective?

I landed on diversity, and specifically women.

It’s Not About Softer Messaging. It’s About more human Framing.

There’s actual behavioral science behind this.

Studies show that women in professional and technical fields tend to use more relational, people-centered language—language that focuses on outcomes, empathy, and real-life impact.¹-²

It’s not about being “soft.” It’s about reframing the message to reflect the stakes.

In healthcare or education—industries with more female representation—you’ll often hear language like “patient care” or “student success.”

Male-dominated industries? They lean hard on control, performance specs, and abstraction. “Optimize workflows.” “Boost operational readiness.” “Secure the perimeter.”

So when you see signage at ISC West that says things like “AI-Driven Threat Detection” instead of “Help Keep Teachers and Students Safe,” that’s exactly the disconnect. The tech may be sound. But the message misses the mark.

If more women were shaping the language and strategy behind this messaging, I suspect we’d see a shift—toward clarity, resonance, and trust. Messaging that feels more protective, more purposeful, and still entirely credible.

Why Language Matters, especially in Security

This isn’t just about tone. Language has real-world consequences.

Messaging affects how products are positioned. Who they attract. Who feels considered—or excluded. When the story being told is all about hardware, acronyms, and perimeter control, it leaves little space for people to feel seen or prioritized.

Security isn’t just about protecting things. It’s about protecting people. But you wouldn’t always know that from half the signage in this industry.

Representation = Market ExpanSion = $$$

This is the business case—and it’s a big one.

When you diversify the voices in the room, you don’t just change the tone. You change what even gets seen as an opportunity.

At ISC West, the dominant verticals were clear: hospitals, airports, government buildings, and schools. All massively important. All fairly conventional.

But are there verticals and business opportunities being missed because there aren’t more women sitting at the table?

Maybe they don’t come with military-size budgets—but high-traffic environments like women’s health clinics, early education centers, and fitness studios could absolutely benefit from smarter, more intuitive security tech.

And here's the thing: modern security technology can do so much more than just “secure” and “surveil.” The tech is already impressive, the applications are where we can have some fun.

So let me put on my girl-powered thinking cap and spitball a few ideas:

Let’s sell a camera that monitors heart rate to Orangetheory.
How about an AI tool that scores how well you stayed on beat during your SoulCycle class and then builds you a playlist you can keep up with? (They already have SoulBeat, so I know I’m not that far off.)
AI video that predicts potential injuries based on posture or unsafe equipment handling at the gym?
Baby monitors that can identify the difference between hunger and tired cries (It’s totally a thing, and if I can hear it, so can a camera.)

If these end up being billion-dollar ideas, just send me a check.

I’m not saying I have the answers. I’m saying there are untapped opportunities hiding in plain sight. But because these verticals aren’t part of the industry’s current field of vision, they’re rarely part of the roadmap.

This isn’t a niche issue—it’s an invisible one.

Industries with more diverse representation spot these gaps sooner. They ask different questions. They build for different use cases. In tech and engineering fields, for example, teams with greater gender diversity see more innovation, better product development, and fewer blind spots.

In security? Those blind spots are costly—not just in market share, but in missed opportunities to make people safer and improve quality of life.

This Isn’t a Lecture. It’s an Observation.

The security industry doesn’t need to be softer. It needs to be sharper—more curious about who it’s protecting, how it’s showing up, and what voices are being left out of the conversation.

Because the thing is: representation doesn’t just change the story. It changes the strategy. It shapes what gets noticed, what gets built, and what gets prioritized.

And when you start to include the voices that haven’t historically been in the room, you don’t just create more inclusive messaging—you uncover opportunities the industry didn’t even know it was missing.

How do you attract more women into the industry?

I’ll leave that to some other genius to answer.

I’m just sharing my observations.

Just to recap…

Representation changes language.
Language changes perception.
Perception changes markets.
Markets change profit.

And if that’s not a compelling reason to get more women in the room, I don’t know what is.

Sources

¹ Wang, X. (2020). An Analysis of Gender Differences in Emotional Speech Based on TED Talks. Open Journal of Modern Linguistics, 10(4), 528-537.

²: Ahmad, S., Awan, M. S., & Naveed, A. (2024). Gender differences in language use in Talks at Google.

What the Security Industry Might Look and Sound Like With More Women in it