The number of vacancies in cybersecurity now exceeds four million worldwide. If you relate the skills shortage to statistics on the gender distribution in the industry, it becomes clear what is causing part of this talent gap - a massive shortage of women working in this sector. Debra Danielson, Chief Technology Officer & SVP of Engineering, Digital Guardian
As a cybersecurity expert with more than 25 years of technology and IT experience, I have seen the industry develop massively in numerous key areas, but the lack of diversity persists. The theme of this year's International Women's Day "#ChooseToChallenge" is a call to action to combat gender-specific prejudice and inequality. This article sheds light on what can be done to encourage more women to choose careers in cybersecurity.
Outdated industry stereotypes keep women away
First of all, it's important to point out that things are going in the right direction: recent research shows that the proportion of women in the global cybersecurity workforce has increased from just 11 percent to around 24 percent in recent years, which is a significant leap is.
Right now, the vast majority of the global cybersecurity workforce is white and male. This population group should by no means be degraded, but diversity is important for reasons that go beyond simple representation: A diverse workforce brings a much broader range of views and experiences with them, which, among other things, can lead to higher productivity and faster, more creative problem-solving. So why aren't more women choosing a career in cybersecurity?
Counteract the shortage of skilled workers
Debra Danielson, Chief Technology Officer & SVP of Engineering, Digital Guardian
Longstanding stereotypes that the industry is a bastion for outsiders and unsocial introverts still prevail. Just like the idea that cybersecurity is a refuge for a toxic male work culture in which opportunities for women to advance their careers are limited or even non-existent. Of course, many of these stereotypes are completely out of date and a far cry from the professional and welcoming environments I experience every day. As long as they cannot be finally eliminated, however, they continue to represent a major hurdle for women to enter. Therefore, targeted actions are required to bring about lasting changes, not only in the way the industry presents itself, but also how and when she comes into contact with potential future talents.
Building a new, more inclusive industry image
This change needs to start at the grassroots: with more engaging and inclusive out-of-school clubs run by inspiring men and women that show girls how great a career in IT can be. There are currently far too few initiatives that help guide girls on a successful cybersecurity career at a young age.
In addition, it must be made clearer how diverse cybersecurity is and how valuable a wide variety of skillsets can be. Unfortunately, there are large numbers of women who long ago wrote off a cybersecurity career because they thought they did not have the "right" experience or skills. In reality there is no single profile and just because someone has no background in programming does not mean that there is no place for him or her in that sector. Many of the most effective cybersecurity programs are collaborative efforts by teams, each with a range of different skills - from communication and planning to strategic thinking, design, and more. An easy way to make a change here is to reformulate or freshen up job descriptions that are less intimidating and inclusive, and use a wider range of channels to advertise vacancies so that more diverse audiences can be reached.
Lots of successful women in cybersecurity
Finally, we also need to offer a bigger platform to all of the successful women who are already working in cybersecurity today. This will help give a friendlier, more personable face to the industry, which is still struggling to shake off its outdated, unattractive image. One way to do this is to have these women speak in universities, schools and at broader business forums (not just at cybersecurity events with mostly self-chosen audiences), and to promote their successes more on the Internet. This can be a great source of inspiration for those who are still unsure about whether to embark on the career path.
With the rising skill shortage, cybersecurity needs to do more to make it more attractive to a wider range of candidates, especially women. In doing so, the industry can not only help redress the persistent gender imbalance, but also tap into a rich vein of future talent with the potential to close the skills gap once and for all.
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