Palo Alto Network Makes Women Dress Up as ‘Lamp Stands’, Greet Guests at Trade Event; CEO Nikesh Arora Apologizes [Video]

Nikesh Arora, the chief executive of the cyber security company Palo Alto Networks, has issued an apology for employing women to pose as lamp stands during a trade event in Las Vegas. The Indian origin CEO’s apology came after facing a series of backlash on the social media.

What Caused the Uproar ?

During an event intended to showcase the cybersecurity firm’s sponsorship of the “CyberRisk Collaborative Happy Hour” at the Black Hat conference, women dressed in form-fitting outfits and wearing branded lampshades greeted attendees. The pictures of the event went viral with many lambasting the CEO and his firm for being sexist.

Many believed that the concept for the outfits appears to be influenced by the “booth babes” from the early Consumer Electronics Shows in the 1960s, where women were employed as hostesses at predominantly male-centric events.

Lashing out at the company, veteran global CISO Olivia Rose, shamed Palo Alto in a post on LinkedIn. “Shame. Shame. Shame on you, both Palo Alto …