Beyond the Buzz: Rethinking Alcohol as a Cybersecurity Bonding Ritual

Jennifer Leggio makes the case for more alcohol-free networking events at conferences, and community-building opportunities for sober individuals working in cybersecurity.

Ours is an isolating industry in which to be sober.

I quit drinking a bit over 18 months ago. My reasons are many but the basic summation is: alcohol no longer served me nor aligned with the person I wanted to be nor my physical or emotional goals. At that time, our all too familiar industry started to get blurry, and for the first time in a long time, I felt unwelcomed.

I wasn’t alone and our industry is not unique with this problem, so none of this was news. But after 24 years of field research, I can anecdotally say with confidence that we are a sloshy bunch. The problem is that, whether it’s a small dinner or small conference or a big event like the ...