In an ever-changing digital landscape, the only certainty is that cybercrime will continue to grow. An increase in cybercrime means a need for more Cyber Talent – there will be a reported 3.5 million open cyber positions in 20211. For the past few decades, the IT industry, and the cybersecurity industry more specifically, have been dominated by men - with very few female executives. According to one survey, 24 per cent of global cybersecurity employees are women2, and 18 per cent3 of CIOs/CTOs are female. With so many projected open positions, we must encourage more women – who represent nearly half of the labor force – to pursue careers in cyber.
But why don’t more women enter the industry? Because you can’t be what you can’t see.
Many women shy away from cybersecurity because they do not see senior women in STEM-related fields, driving a presumption that career options may be limited for women. As a result, the pipeline of female talent is stifled early on. Women are underrepresented in STEM programmes in college, which ultimately limits the talent pool as graduates enter the workforce. By taking action, organisations can increase the pipeline of talent early on and ultimately increase the number of women in cyber. And the benefits are tangible. Companies with inclusive cultures do better than those without. They are twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets, three times more likely to be high performing, six times more likely to be innovative and agile, and eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes. Creating diverse teams drives success for the organisation.
Ultimately, encouraging more capable women to pursue careers in cyber has the potential to reduce the sector's labor shortage and introduce diverse perspectives, leadership and experience. Beyond benefitting companies and society… it’s just the right thing to do.
1Cybercrime Magazine, “Cybersecurity Talent Crunch To Create 3.5 Million Unfilled Jobs Globally By 2021,” October 24, 2019.
2(ISC)2, Women in Cybersecurity Report, 2019, p. 1.
3Wall Street Journal, “More Women Are Making It to the CIO Level,” April 23, 2019.