Page 42 - the SyI Quarterly

Cyber Updates
Breaking down barriers
- Cora Lydon - Editor of Security Middle East
magazine
It’s no secret that when it comes to gender bias and stereotypes, one of the
industries that struggles the most is cybersecurity. Over the past decade
efforts to break down bias and encourage more women into the sector
have increased, but does it go far enough? Asks Cora Lydon
The reality is that while progress is being made it’s still painstakingly slow and
there are still considerable barriers and misconceptions around women’s roles
within cybersecurity and technology sectors.
Women account for nearly half (47.7%) of the global workforce outside of the
tech sector. However, in a recent report, Deloitte Global is predicting that large
global technology firms will only manage to achieve “nearly 33 per cent overall
female representation in their workforces up to 2022, up slightly more than two
percentage points from 2019.”
When you drill down even further specifically into the cybersecurity sector the
stats make for even grimmer reading. According to the (ISC)² Cybersecurity
Workforce Study, women make up just a tiny proportion of the global workforce:
a mere 25 per cent.
Attract and retain talented women
And it’s not because the jobs aren’t there either. The (ISC)² study highlighted the
need for more cybersecurity professionals – stating that it urgently needs some
2.72million more to join the industry to meet demand. Further stats reveal how
quickly demand is outpacing supply: last year 700,000 professionals entered the
cybersecurity workforce, yet the global workforce gap only saw a reduction of
400,000.
With so few women entering the industry measures also need to be taken to
retain women in cybersecurity and ensure they receive the same opportunities as
their male counterparts. The sad reality is that women in cybersecurity roles tend
to be promoted more slowly than men – something that is known as the ‘first
rung’ problem.
In addition, women tend to leave the field at twice the rate of men as highlighted
in a UNESCO report for the Equals Skills Coalition. According to the I’d Blush If
I Could: closing gender divides in digital skills through education report, gender
bias, discrimination and harassment are frequently cited as being their reasons
for leaving the sector.
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Money talks
Recruiting women into the cyber sphere is crucial for the industry.
According to Tessian’s Opportunity in Cybersecurity Report 2021, it’s estimated that if the
number of female professionals in the sector equalled that of men, the economic footprint
of the cybersecurity industry could increase by US$30.4bn in the US and £12.6bn in the
UK. If women were to earn the same salary as men the figures are even more impressive: a
US$43.1bn increase in the US and £17bn in the UK.
On the topic of equal pay - it is also the number one way to engage more women into the
cybersecurity industry, with 47% of women agreeing in Tessian’s report. This was closely
followed by more diverse role models (44%), a gender-balanced workforce (43%) and more
apprenticeship programmes (41%).
The 2021 report also revealed a chink of light. In the 2020 report, 66 per cent of women
agreed that there was a gender bias problem in cybersecurity. In the latest report (2021), this
had fallen to 52 per cent. Progress should be celebrated, but let’s not forget that over half of
the female cybersecurity workforce see an issue with gender bias.
Creating opportunities
While Covid wreaked havoc it seems it could have actually helped advance the female
workforce; if we can take any positive from the pandemic it should be this. Despite the fact
that a global recession had hit, nearly half (49%) of women questioned by Tessian, revealed
that Covid-19 had affected their career as a woman in cybersecurity in a positive way. What
isn’t understood is the reason for this – whether it was a genuine reduction in gender
inequality practices, a boost from the increased investment in IT needed to circumvent
Covid’s impact or even the flexibility they’ve been afforded by work-from-home practices.
A woman’s touch
Getting more women into STEM roles is no easy task and the answer will take many years
before gender bias is a thing of the past in the industry. But, organisations can, and need to,
think differently about the composition of their cybersecurity teams.
Diverse teams perform better, are more innovative and are good for business all-round. But,
for reasons that are not yet fully understood, women are either not applying for these roles,
or are failing to be recruited.
It becomes something of a vicious cycle that is perpetuated by this lack of a diverse
workforce. In 2021, just 17 per cent of Fortune 500 CISO positions were held by women –
without these female examples of success and potential mentors it is hard to break down
the stereotype that women don’t belong in the world of cybersecurity. And so the problem
continues.
What can you do?
• Promote positive female role models within your organisation.
• Create a mentorship program that includes top-level female employees, to promote
opportunities to their female peers.
• Eliminate gender bias in hiring practices.
• Implement inclusive work environments.
• Ensure women have equal opportunities to progress within all levels of your organisation.
• Consider how you intend to merge your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion objectives with
your digital innovation strategies.
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