Future Is Spelled With "F" of Female

Future Is Spelled With F of Female

Imagine a delicious chocolate cake that represents the economy. When the cake is sliced, it is divided into equal pieces for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, when it comes to women, they are always left with a smaller slice of the cake. To be precise 16% less. 

Women in cybersecurity are living in this reality. According to (ISC)² research, male professionals in cyber outearn their female counterparts. Specifically, 32% of men earn an average of $50,000 to $100,000 annually, whereas only 18% of women occupy the same income range. Even though they are working twice as hard as men, women are not always given the same opportunities and resources to succeed in the field. It's time to level the playing field to ensure that women in cybersecurity have access to an equal piece of the cake.

The Challenges Facing Women In Cyber

Aside from the gender pay gap, women in cybersecurity are facing many other challenges that set them to fail. Jessica Ortega from SiteLock highlights that cybersecurity and technology in general suffer from a perception problem, where women often do not consider these fields as viable careers because they are viewed as a “boys club”. This idea that these fields are male dominated is deeply rooted in individuals from a young age and still persists today.

Rose Elliott, senior director of product engineering of Tenable.io, shined the spotlight on the lack of gender diversity in cybersecurity in an interview with Forbes. "In almost every engineering team I’ve been a part of, I’ve been one of one or two women," says Elliott. "The lack of gender diversity is definitely apparent, especially when you attend events, such as RSA or Black Hat, and men make up the vast majority of attendees." The lack of diversity and inclusivity in the field is there, and it is making it quite challenging for women to enter and thrive in the field.

Cybersecurity Is Also a Girls Club

Having more women in the workspace is good for business. Take it from us, a women-led, mother-daughter-founded startup disrupting the cybersecurity industry today. Organizations in the industry should prioritize diversity and inclusivity in their hiring and retention practices. Women have the skills and potential to make significant contributions, and their representation in the field is critical. It is also essential to create a culture that is supportive of women in cybersecurity, something we strive for everyday. Women are powerful beyond measure and their place to be is in cybersecurity.

‍Sources: BCG, Forbes, (ISC)² & UN Women