Cybersecurity needs more women.
Despite think pieces demonstrating why having women in cybersecurity is beneficial to the industry as a whole and initiatives designed to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers, the cybersecurity industry still has a gender gap. In fact, according to the 2017 Women in Cybersecurity study, women only make up 11 percent of the total cybersecurity workforce.
The lack of women in the field is staggering, and lower than that of other positions in tech, such as developers and programmers. It’s also especially concerning when considering that the shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals is slated to reach 3.5 million by 2021.
So, what does it take to be a woman in a field often known for its lack of diversity? Varonis set out to answer that question. The company analyzed the current Fortune 500 list to determine which companies have female leaders in the top cybersecurity position (chief information security officer, chief information officer, or VP of information security). The total out of 500 examined? Sixty-five — approximately 13 percent.
Who are these 65 women? Varonis drilled down more to examine the characteristics that make up a female cybersecurity leader, from educational background to career beginnings and current tenure. Major findings include:
To learn more about the women dominating the cybersecurity field, check out the full infographic from Varonis, below.
Despite think pieces demonstrating why having women in cybersecurity is beneficial to the industry as a whole and initiatives designed to encourage young women to pursue STEM careers, the cybersecurity industry still has a gender gap. In fact, according to the 2017 Women in Cybersecurity study, women only make up 11 percent of the total cybersecurity workforce.
The lack of women in the field is staggering, and lower than that of other positions in tech, such as developers and programmers. It’s also especially concerning when considering that the shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals is slated to reach 3.5 million by 2021.
So, what does it take to be a woman in a field often known for its lack of diversity? Varonis set out to answer that question. The company analyzed the current Fortune 500 list to determine which companies have female leaders in the top cybersecurity position (chief information security officer, chief information officer, or VP of information security). The total out of 500 examined? Sixty-five — approximately 13 percent.
Who are these 65 women? Varonis drilled down more to examine the characteristics that make up a female cybersecurity leader, from educational background to career beginnings and current tenure. Major findings include:
- The majority of female cybersecurity leaders began their career in information technology or security, at 48 percent
- 15 percent of female cybersecurity leaders have been in the industry for more than 30 years
- But 58 percent of female cybersecurity leaders have held their position for 5 years or less
To learn more about the women dominating the cybersecurity field, check out the full infographic from Varonis, below.
