Women in Security Profile: ‘The industry needs to apply outside-the-box thinking when it comes to recruiting diverse talent,’ says Candice Aragon   

YARMOUTH, Maine—While Candice Aragon, chief experience officer at PSA Network, has seen an upsurge in the number of women attending security industry events, she knows there is more work to be done around diversity.  

Aragon serves as vice chair of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA’s) Women in Security Forum (WISF) and has witnessed firsthand the dramatic shift taking place when it comes to the diverse representation at conferences and trade shows.  

“I find the diversity in the industry has grown tremendously over the last five years,” she explained. “Yes, it’s still heavily male-dominated, but each year I see more women at industry events. Even the growth of Security LeadHER attendance from 2023 to 2024 speaks volumes. It was amazing spending time with 400 women who work in the industry.”  

Aragon pointed out, however, that women still must overcome obstacles in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, but the support she has received from female colleagues has helped the diversity cause.  

“I don’t want to paint a perfect picture,” she noted. “There are certainly struggles that remain. I’ve been lucky to build a community of women through the Women in Security Forum. Having a group of women to lean on when navigating challenges has been extremely helpful.”  

As part of Security Systems News’ and the SIA Women in Security Forum’s continuing series highlighting the contributions of women in security, the following is an exclusive Q&A with Aragon:  

SSN: What are your current roles and responsibilities? 

Aragon: In my role, I oversee marketing, learning and development, events, and customer success. PSA is a collective of systems integrators, and everything we do is in support of our membership.  

My team leads a marketing agency, Swell, for our members. We have developed an online learning management system, PSA University, to help our integrators train their teams. Likewise, we put on many events such as PSA TEC, where we educate hundreds – from technicians to CEOs.  

SSN: What has been your biggest challenge in the security industry and how did (do) you overcome it?  

Aragon: The biggest challenges I face are not unique to security. I’m a working mother with two young kids who is advancing my career and leading multiple teams. It’s a delicate balance many working parents face, and the days are often long. While I’ll face this for many years to come, I’m able to navigate it with a supportive team, an understanding leader, and open communication and honesty.  

SSN: What advice would you give other women thinking about getting into the security industry, or who are just getting started? 

Aragon: This is an amazing industry for women to work in, and our perspectives are vital for the growth and expansion of security for years to come. Diverse perspectives make organizations more successful, but it can be intimidating to be the lone female. That’s why it’s so important to find a network of supporters, both male and female.  

SSN: What does the security industry need to consider when addressing diversity? 

Aragon: The security industry needs to apply outside-the-box thinking when it comes to recruiting new, diverse talent to the industry.  

PSA partnered with SIA to create a Security Industry Careers Guide, which outlines the wide breadth of amazing careers in the industry, their expected salary ranges, work/life balance expectations, upward mobility, etc. Using this guide, many in the industry can work with universities, trade schools, colleges, etc., to grow awareness about security career opportunities.