Girls Are Breaking Into Cybersecurity, However Dropping Jobs Sooner Than Males

Gender range in cybersecurity is slowly enhancing however inequities proceed—a brand new report finds that the sector has 5% extra girls than in 2023, however that they’re extra uncovered to different office challenges than male counterparts. About 32% of ladies respondents stated their organizations skilled safety layoffs during the last 12 months in comparison with simply 23% of male respondents.

For Girls’s Historical past Month this March, ISC2 delved deeper into information collected for its 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Research. The certification and coaching group surveyed 15,852 people chargeable for cybersecurity at workplaces worldwide, of which 14% have been girls. In 2024, girls accounted for 22% of world safety groups on common, in comparison with 17% in 2023, with the U.S. barely under common on illustration at 19.2%.

However 16% of respondents stated their firm’s safety workforce comprises no girls in any respect, and solely 5% declare to have a good break up of women and men. Girls employed in cybersecurity roles do have a tendency to carry seniority, as 55% of feminine respondents stated they’re in managerial or increased positions and 53% are in a position to make hiring selections. Solely 7% are in C-Suite positions like CTO and CISO, however there are fewer of those roles accessible.

SEE: Girls in Tech: Steps Leaders Can Take to Enhance Retention and Profession Alternatives

Girls disproportionately uncovered to office challenges

The report discovered that 67% of ladies in cybersecurity are happy with their job, in comparison with 66% of males. Whereas this determine is excessive for each sexes, it marks an ongoing declining development. In 2022, 82% of ladies and 73% of males reported job satisfaction, and 76% and 70% respectively in 2023. The analysts put this development right down to rising “economic and workload pressures.”

There are well-documented expertise shortages within the business resulting in overworked employees, however the ISC2 information suggests that ladies are being extra uncovered to different office challenges than their male counterparts. Along with the disparity between men and women who skilled safety layoffs during the last 12 months, 40% of ladies respondents skilled cybersecurity funds cuts and 42% skilled hiring freezes, in comparison with 36% and 37% of males, respectively. Solely 31% of males in cybersecurity famous that their groups had frozen promotions and pay rises in comparison with 36% of ladies.

“The data shows that the organizations where female participants work have experienced cybersecurity cutbacks at higher rates than male participants,” ISC2 analysts stated.