Cybersecurity roles are rising but women participating is low
cybersecurity professionals. However, the talent pool doesn’t seem that diverse in this sector. It is important to understand what kind of roles are in demand for women, the skills they must acquire and the challenges they face when trying to build a career in cybersecurity.
Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in the cybersecurity sector, holding only 20-25% of roles at present, says Bhavesh Goswami, Founder and CEO of CloudThat. While this number is projected to reach 30% by 2025, he says achieving true gender parity is still a distant goal; and it’s likely that we’ll reach a 50% representation only by 2030.
Pankit Desai, CEO & Co-Founder at Sequretek, says the representation of women in cybersecurity has seen significant growth from the single digits seen a few years ago, reflecting the industry's gradual progress toward greater diversity. About 23-24% of Sequretek’s workforce is made up of women. However, he says the challenge is in leadership roles, where female representation continues to stay in the single digits, indicating the need to foster a truly inclusive environment in cybersecurity.
The ongoing talent shortage, projected to exceed 85 million positions by 2030, underscores the need for more women in this field, says Sharda Tickoo, Country Manager for India & SAARC, Trend Micro. However, industry leaders and organisations now are focused on promoting gender diversity through awareness initiatives, mentorship programmes and showcasing successful women professionals in cybersecurity,
