Pandemic Positively Impacts Career of Women Working in Cybersecurity
IWD 2021
Nearly half of women working in cybersecurity (49%) say that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their career in a positive way, with just nine percent of female cybersecurity professionals saying that the pandemic negatively impacted their career. This is according to a new global report from human layer security company Tessian, published this International Women’s Day.
In fact, cybersecurity jobs appear to have weathered the COVID-19 storm as 94% of women in cybersecurity said they recruited new staff members to help support their team in 2020. In addition, 89% of women working in the industry reported feeling secure in their jobs.
Despite the industry offering promising opportunities, there is still plenty of work to be done to encourage younger women to consider a career in cybersecurity. As part of the report, Tessian surveyed university graduates aged 18-25 years old and found that men in this age group were more likely to consider a job in cybersecurity – 42% versus 26% of women. Interestingly, though, 87% of younger women said that they found the industry ‘important’ and 73% said it was ‘interesting’.
When female cybersecurity professionals were asked what would encourage more women into cybersecurity roles, equal pay topped the list with 47% of respondents saying this would help bridge the gender gap. This was closely followed by ‘more female diverse models’ (44%), ‘a gender-balanced workforce’ (43%) and ‘a greater emphasis on STEM subjects in schools’ (41%).
A significant percentage of Generation Z respondents were, however, on the fence when it came to considering a career in cybersecurity. Nearly half (45%) are not sure whether cybersecurity is the career for them and when asked why, many are worried that they don’t have the skills needed to thrive, while others are not sure how to navigate a career change.
Encouraging greater gender diversity in cybersecurity would have huge benefits, though. A previous Tessian revealed that an additional £4.4bn would be added to the UK economy if the number of women working in cybersecurity rose to equal that of men.
Sabrina Castiglione, Tessian’s Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Talent commented: “The women in our report have spoken; cybersecurity is an industry to build a thriving career, even in a global pandemic, and the younger generation recognises that it’s important. So now, we need to show more women and girls how they can explore the opportunities available to them.
“Greater awareness in schools is critical but businesses, too, can help build a more diverse talent pool for the future through initiatives like hiring more diverse candidates at junior levels and developing them into senior roles, and creating platforms for role models to share their stories. We won’t solve the gender gap overnight. But acting now and playing the long game will have enormous benefits – both for businesses and society.”
