Statistics for 2023 appear to be quite promising as far as women in cybersecurity are concerned. In 2022, about 25% of the global cybersecurity workspace was represented by women. Interestingly, the increase is about 20% from 2021. The information is from Cybersecurity Ventures. The report also highlights that in 2011, the increase was about 10%. Industry experts expect steady growth in women participants in the coming years.
Cybersecurity Ventures also predicts that women will represent about 30% of the worldwide cybersecurity workforce by the year 2025. In numbers, by 2031, it would be about 35 percent.
With an aim to attract more women into the cyber security sector, Palo Alto Networks has launched a partnership with a former rocket scientist and former CEO, Girl Scouts, Sylvia Acevedo. The association began in 2017, and until this day, more than 200,000 girls have been awarded cyber security badges. The majority of these girls are looking forward to an illustrious career in cyber security.
The perception that jobs such as cyber security are better suited for men is still applicable across the industry. However, this thought comes across as an initial barrier, and the ongoing attempts to include more women are focused on overcoming this hurdle.
WiCyS is a global community of women that brings together women from various backgrounds into cyber security. WiCyS deserves a special mention when we talk about women in cyber security.
There are other barriers for women besides the public perceptions. According to Renee Tarun, Deputy CISO, Fortinet, “Men are four times more likely to hold executive roles than their female counterparts, they’re nine times more likely to have managerial roles than women, and sometimes they’re paid 6% more than women.”