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(ISC)² Research Finds Women Comprise 24% of Global Cybersecurity WorkforceCLEARWATER, Fla., April 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- (ISC)² – the world's largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals – today released its 2019 Women in Cybersecurity report, which reveals that women now represent 24% of the cybersecurity workforce. This estimate is a higher percentage than in past reports in part due to the adoption of a new sample methodology that creates a more accurate and holistic representation of the cybersecurity and IT/ICT professionals responsible for securing their organizations' critical assets. While the stronger representation of women in the cybersecurity workforce is encouraging, the report indicates that challenges like wage inequality remain. "The data confirms what we've been seeing for the past few years on the ground. More women are coming into the field of cybersecurity with post-graduate degrees and not only working in the trenches but also in the C-suite," said (ISC)² CEO David Shearer, CISSP. "Women in high-level positions will foster more inclusion and inspire young women to join the industry, and there are certainly many exciting opportunities available for those seeking to inspire a safe and secure cyber world. Diversity only makes us stronger." Signs of Progress Women also bring higher levels of education to cybersecurity. More women (52%) in the survey hold a post-graduate degree than their male counterparts (44%). The report also found that although men still outnumber women in cybersecurity by about three to one overall, women in the field are advancing to leadership positions. According to survey respondents, higher percentages of women than men are attaining senior leadership and decision-making positions.
"It's an encouraging sign that more women are succeeding in cybersecurity and moving up through the ranks," said Jennifer Minella, CISSP, vice president of engineering & security at Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc. and chairperson of the (ISC)2 Board of Directors. "For many years tis hasn't been the case, and we need to continue to do all we can to make ours a welcoming profession for the most talented and innovative individuals, regardless of gender." Challenges Remain For all their differences, the report indicates that men and women share a lot of the same concerns about their roles, including lack of commitment from upper management, the reputation of their organization, risk of seeing their job outsourced, lack of work/life balance, the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) reducing the need for cybersecurity workers and a lack of standardized cybersecurity terminology to effectively communicate within their organizations. For the full 2019 Women in Cybersecurity report, please visit www.isc2.org/research/women-in-cybersecurity. About the Report Methodology About (ISC)² © 2019 (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CCFP, CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP, CISSP-ISSMP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC)², Inc. Media Contact:
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