FEATURE : DATA SECURITY of it on a day-to-day basis but it happens steadily , often in the background and off-the-radar .
I could go on but my point is we have to have faith in the process of change – and the key to this is to alter people ’ s expectations which can translate to transformation in the real world .
Once we get to the stage where more women see cybersecurity as a viable career option , real change will surely follow .
Convincing parents
When we get to the stage where parents recognize that cybersecurity is an attractive career option for their daughters and encourage them to study it at university you can expect to see that change become rapid .
WE HAVE ALL HEARD JOKES ABOUT HOW THE CYBERSECURITY INDUSTRY – AND IT IN GENERAL – IS FULL OF COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION GEEKS .
I think we should ask ourselves if there are any grounds for optimism in terms of women being better represented in the cybersecurity industry .
Faith in change
I believe we need to have faith in the ability of society to change . It wasn ’ t until the mid-19th century that women were employed as teachers in the US but a shortage of males changed that although , unfortunately , they only received a third of the pay men got .
Although statistics vary , it seems safe to say that around 75 % of US teachers are currently female but it ’ s worth pointing out that they still find themselves often overlooked for promotions and tend to make less than their male peers .
Invisible change
This type of change can be frustrating because it is incredibly difficult to detect and you see little evidence
And why shouldn ’ t they ? Cybercrime is the fastest growing type of crime globally . As a consequence , there has been enormous growth in the cybersecurity market so the opportunities are endless .
There are millions of unfulfilled cybersecurity jobs out there that are incredibly lucrative and obtainable – how many other sectors can you truly say that about ?
Cybersecurity can ’ t cope without women
The truth is that the needs of businesses , and society in general , won ’ t be met unless more women pursue careers in cybersecurity . A response needs to be formulated to encourage them to become part of the solution .
Their involvement – along with the diversity of thought it will add to the sector – can only strengthen the industry . Different approaches will help deter an enemy that continuously changes in an attempt to become profitable .
Media portrayals
It ’ s a depressing fact that the way certain professions are portrayed in the media can have a meaningful influence on the career selections young people make .
We have all heard jokes about how the cybersecurity industry – and IT in general – is full of comic book and science fiction geeks . But the reality is the cybersecurity field is much broader than most people give it credit for . It ’ s true you need talented technicians to operate your cybersecurity team but the industry also needs gifted communicators who can explain the risks we all face and the prospective damage they can create .
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