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ISC2 Research Finds Some Progress, But More Needs to be Done to Support Women in CybersecurityWomen make up a larger percentage of new entrants to the field and are taking leadership positions and hiring roles, but challenges like pay disparity and discrimination persist ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ISC2 – the world's leading nonprofit member organization for cybersecurity professionals – today published its latest research, Women in Cybersecurity. The study, which gathered responses from 2,400 women who participated in the latest ISC2 Workforce Study (17% of the total 14,865 cybersecurity practitioners surveyed), unveiled several encouraging trends such as women's pathways into the profession, their roles within teams and similarities with men in terms of achievements, but revealed that further efforts are needed to support women in the cyber workforce. With the average representation of women on cybersecurity teams standing at 23%, attracting and retaining more diverse individuals is essential to address the cyber workforce gap of 4 million individuals globally. Despite women still representing a minority in the cybersecurity profession, ISC2 observed an increase in diversity within the younger workforce. Among respondents in the "under 30" age category, 26% identified as women, while only 13% of respondents in the "65 or older" age category were women. By 2025, research predicts that women will represent 30% of the global cybersecurity workforce, increasing to 35% by 2031. The research reveals that a higher proportion of women acknowledge the importance of diversity on their security team than men (76% vs. 63% respectively), and 78% of women feel that an inclusive environment is essential for their team's success. Yet, 11% of the workforce study participants said they had no women on their security teams and 21% of men did not know the proportion of women on their security team compared to 13% of women. "It's great to see incremental progress of younger women entering cybersecurity, however, it's not enough and more needs to be done. We must continue to build a culture for all women that creates a sense of belonging that results in the retention of women in cybersecurity careers," said ISC2 CEO Clar Rosso, CC. "Research reveals that the most engaged women in cybersecurity work at organizations that invest time and resources into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives such as offering competitive pay, hosting mentorship programs and establishing an inclusive culture that fosters professional development opportunities." Diving Deeper into the Findings With prgress being made, the research explores that there's still work to be accomplished around supporting gender representation, advocating for DEI activities and eliminating workplace discrimination and salary inequities. Additional findings include:
The survey presents valuable key takeaways for leaders to help increase women's participation and satisfaction in cybersecurity, including setting specific hiring, recruitment and advancement metrics, making pay equity a priority and eliminating inequities around advancement. Other areas for improvement include the need for organizations to better communicate the importance of diversity and inclusivity, as well as establish clear guidelines to prevent workplace discrimination. To explore the full study about women in the cybersecurity industry, please visit: https://www.isc2.org/women-in-cyber. Methodology About ISC2 © 2024 ISC2 Inc., ISC2, CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CGRC, CSSLP, HCISPP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP and CBK are registered marks, and CC is a service mark of ISC2, Inc. Media Contact: View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/isc2-research-finds-some-progress-but-more-needs-to-be-done-to-support-women-in-cybersecurity-302126745.html SOURCE ISC2 |