March marks International Women’s Day and the cybersecurity sector will be marking this important event by recognising women across the sector – from CISOs to administrators, developers to GRC specialists.
This year’s theme is #AccelerateAction, with data from the World Economic Forum suggesting that it will take until 2158 – roughly five generations from now – to reach full gender parity.
The theme emphasises the importance of taking decisive and fast steps to reach gender equality, calling for urgency to address the ‘systemic barriers and biases that women face’ both professionally and personally.
According to ISC2, the percentage of women in the industry is likely in the range of 20% to 25%, with hopes that this number will increase as more young people enter the industry.
Women are still vastly under-represented across most industries, particularly when it comes to leadership roles and, with diversity a hot topic globally right now, it’s important to recognise the role of women in enabling organisations to thrive through providing diverse skillsets and perspectives.
Across the cybersecurity sector, there are numerous initiatives set up to champion women. Recently, UK-based Eskenzi PR hosted its annual Most Inspiring Women in Cyber Awards at BT Tower in London, featuring an insightful panel discussion focused on how to keep conversations on diversity going forward and organisations avoiding a regress in attitudes to diverse hiring.
Panellists included Dr. Runli Guo, Founder and CEO of AI Dionic; Aymun Lashari, Community Manager at LT Harper, and organiser of its InClusive InCyber initiative; Illyana Mullins, Founder of WiTCH; Dr.Iretioluwa Akerele, Founder of CyBlack; Danu Sivapalan, Senior Product Manager, Identity & Access Management, at Sainsbury’s, and Head of Partnerships at WiCyS UK&I Affiliate; and Yvonne Eskenzi, co-founder and CEO of Eskenzi PR and chair of the panel.
The top five takeaways from that panel including continuing to push for DEI initiatives and holding organisations accountable; joining women’s groups to have a potentially bigger difference in the workplace; mentor and be mentored; and ‘aim for the top seat’ to ensure better representation at C-level and Board Level.
Zoya Schaller, Director of Compliance, Keeper Security, also provided insight into her experience as a woman in cyber.
Why is cybersecurity important for the modern woman?
Generally, women face higher rates of cybercrime, online harassment and privacy violations. Most modern women now have some form of online presence, understanding cybersecurity basics is crucial for protecting personal information and maintaining control over digital identities.
Cybersecurity awareness can help women navigate online spaces more safely and confidently for themselves and their children.
The cybersecurity field also offers exciting career opportunities for women, combining interesting challenges with excellent compensation and rapid growth potential. By joining this field, women can both protect their own digital lives and help safeguard others. Their diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving strengthen the industry’s ability to combat cyberthreats more effectively.
When cybersecurity teams include different viewpoints and experiences, they develop more comprehensive and innovative solutions to security challenges.
How would greater female representation aid with driving change within the industry?
Adding more women to cybersecurity isn’t just about filling empty positions – it’s about bringing fresh perspectives to an industry that can benefit from them. When we expand the talent pool to include more women, we’re not only addressing the huge skills gap in the field, but we’re also bringing in new ways of thinking about and solving security problems.
Women often excel at understanding and connecting with people, which is incredibly valuable in cybersecurity. These skills make a real difference when explaining complex security concepts, handling security incidents sensitively, or designing security measures that people will actually use rather than bypass.
Think about it – what good is a security solution if users find it so frustrating that they look for workarounds?
Having experienced many online security challenges firsthand, women in cybersecurity bring practical insights to tackling problems like online harassment, privacy issues, and digital safety. They get it because they’ve often dealt with these issues themselves. Plus, female leaders in the field tend to actively help other women grow their careers through mentoring and support, creating a positive ripple effect throughout the industry.
When we bring together different viewpoints, experiences, and problem-solving approaches, we end up with better, more creative solutions to security challenges. It’s pretty simple – a more diverse cybersecurity industry is better equipped to protect all of us in our increasingly connected world.
How would you challenge more women to pursue a career in cybersecurity?
To encourage more women to pursue a career in cybersecurity, I would advise them not to be intimidated by the complex technologies, jargon and endless abbreviations that often make the field seem exclusive. Instead, I would shift the focus to the core mission of cybersecurity: protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.
At its foundation, cybersecurity is about managing risk and women already have a natural aptitude for risk assessment and mitigation in their everyday lives – whether it’s making financial decisions, ensuring family safety, or navigating professional challenges. By reframing cybersecurity as an extension of these instinctive skills rather than a purely technical domain, we can break down barriers and make the field more accessible.
Encouraging mentorship, fostering inclusive work environments and highlighting diverse role models can further reinforce that women belong in cybersecurity just as much as anyone else.
