The ISC2 Survey on Women in Cybersecurity is a comprehensive research study that gathered responses from 2,400 women and revealed several key findings. These include encouraging trends in women's entry into the profession, their roles within teams, and their achievements on par with men. However, this study also highlights the need for continued efforts to support and advance women in the cybersecurity workforce.
increased diversity
With the average percentage of women on cybersecurity teams being 23%, attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce is essential to addressing the global cyber workforce gap of 4 million people. Although women remain underrepresented in the cybersecurity field, ISC2 observed an increase in diversity among the young workforce.
Among respondents in the “under 30'' age category, 26% identified as female, while only 13% of respondents in the “over 65'' age category identified as female. According to research, by 2025 women will make up 30% of the global cybersecurity workforce, and by 2031 they are expected to increase to 35%.
The survey found that more women than men perceive the importance of diversity on security teams (76% vs. 63%, respectively), and 78% of women believe that an inclusive environment is important for their team's success. It became clear that they felt it was essential. However, 11% of workforce survey participants said they had no women on their security teams, and 21% of men's girlfriends did not know the percentage of women on their security teams, compared to 21% of men's girlfriends. It was 13%.
“While it is great to see more young women entering the cybersecurity field, it is 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 leads to retention,” said Clar Rosso, CEO of ISC2. “Surveys show that women who are most committed to cybersecurity are the ones who support diversity, equity, I work for an organization that invests time and resources in gender, inclusion, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Main findings
The study finds that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done in supporting gender representation, advocating for DEI activities, and eliminating discrimination and pay inequality in the workplace. Additional findings include:
- The industries with the highest percentage of women on security teams (28%) are cloud services, automotive, and construction; the industries with the lowest (20%) are military and utilities.
- The average salary for women is $109,609 compared to $115,003 for men, a difference of $5,400.
- 36% of women felt unable to be honest at work, compared to 29% of men.
- Women of South Asian descent (48%), Black or African descent (43%), and Hispanic or Latinx (42%) were most likely to report feeling unable to be their authentic selves at work. .
- 29% of women reported feeling discriminated against at work, compared to 19% of men.
- Black or African women in Canada/UK/Ireland report the highest levels of discrimination, with 53% feeling discriminated against.
- 69% of female respondents said DEI will continue to grow in importance for security teams over the next five years (compared to 55% of male respondents).
- 66% of women say diversity contributes to the success of their security teams, and 78% of women believe an inclusive environment is essential to their team's success.
- Women are less likely than male participants to report a cybersecurity talent shortage in their organizations (62% vs. 68%); reported that they are hiring at a high rate.
- A higher percentage of women (14%) reported pursuing cybersecurity in school compared to men (10%).
- Women want to work in fields that are constantly evolving (21%) and where they can help people and society (16%) at higher rates than men (18% and 14%, respectively) .
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