International Women’s Day: Improving inclusivity in cyber security

This International Women’s Day, we spoke to several female leaders in the cybersecurity industry to get their views on the current state of gender inclusivity in the sector, and what could be done to make it better.

The cyber security industry has come a long way...

Although female employee numbers are far from where they could be, there has been a notable improvement. “The cybersecurity industry has made progress over the last decade with 10% of the workforce being female in 2013 to 25% in 2022”, says Sam King, CEO of Veracode. “Things are moving in the right direction with more work yet to be done, especially around providing advancement opportunities to women so we see a greater percentage in the C-suite."

...but there is still a lot of room for improvement

Women still face obstacles both entering the cybersecurity industry and being part of it. Kara Sprague, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at F5, comments, “International Women’s Day serves as a reminder that we need a wider variety of voices and perspectives across all organisations. To achieve that, we need more women and people of underrepresented gender identities to rise through the ranks as leaders. Yet, the path to progression doesn’t come without challenges.”

Sprague, despite having worked in cybersecurity for over 25 years, says she has still, “experienced several occasions in which my voice was not heard, or ideas acknowledged as mine.”

Investing in women

King has several suggestions for organisations to accelerate the progress made over the last decade. “First, businesses looking for potential candidates should cast the net beyond STEM backgrounds. From my experience in cyber, there are many useful skillsets people from a range of backgrounds could bring to the industry. We also need companies and governments to invest more resources into cybersecurity training, internship and apprenticeship programmes which can be particularly effective for early-stage career candidates.”

Investing in mentorship programmes and bolstering industry networks is also key, King argues. "One of the most powerful ways to inspire inclusion is through industry networks and support from mentors, which is an effective way to elevate the representation of women in senior roles. I have greatly benefited from engaging with and learning from other women in the cybersecurity industry by sharing our experiences and best practices with each other.”

Preparing women to enter a STEM workforce shouldn’t wait until they are already active in the workforce. Clare Loveridge, Vice President and EMEA general manager at Arctic Wolf argues, “schools need to start equipping girls with the skills needed to excel in STEM careers, including teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking. Increasing the number of female role models in the sector will also inspire more women and girls to consider pursuing a STEM career.”

Walking the walk

Most of us are familiar with the reasons behind the need for more women in the workplace – it is not only the right thing to do but also proven to be good for business. But turning theory into practice is a different ball game. Claire Pitman, VP of field and digital marketing, EMEA at Ping Identity argues, “both men and women should lead by example when it comes to overcoming the current imbalance in equality and inclusion for future generations. Authenticity, humility, and openness to guidance are crucial in equal measures if prejudices are to be eradicated.”

Thankfully, some organisations are already walking the walk and leading by example. Loveridge is proud of the steps Arctic Wolf is taking to support its female employees, “our maternity policy significantly enhances the support available to women working within the business. Initiatives such as these will support women in achieving their career goals and allow them to thrive in the wider workplace.”

On the right track

Organisations in the cybersecurity industry have made increased attempts to address the gender diversity gap over the years. While some of the numbers show the effort is paying off, there is still lots of room for improvement. From pouring resources into training programmes for women at various stages of their careers to shift into cybersecurity, to promoting mentor networks for those already in the industry, there are many options to make inclusivity work for all.