Here is everything you should know about combating the gender gap in cybersecurity

The cybersecurity business has a dilemma, i.e., women only make up 20% of the cybersecurity sector in 2019. Considering the volume of evidence that supports the advantages of more balanced, varied workforces, this figure would be disturbing in any field. But it's especially problematic in cybersecurity, where there's already a severe skills deficit.

In a world when everything is digital, the risk of cyber-attacks has skyrocketed, and the demand for cyber-security experts increased. While the demand for qualified personnel grows, there is also a need to close the cybersecurity gender gap. Women make up only 24% of the workforce, according to estimates. Besides the stereotype that men are better at managing technical subjects, then there is the possibility of prejudice and, most importantly, a lack of support for women who want to pursue careers in these sectors.

Lack of awareness

Pop culture and the media have given the impression that cybersecurity jobs are all about hacking and dealing with data breaches. Security specialists, security experts, security designers, security admin, security programmers, security consultants, cryptologists, security officer, malware technician, and detection specialist are just a few of the key roles in cybersecurity.

Women's underrepresentation creates an unequal and at times unjust, playing field. As a result, women get isolated, feel compelled to overdo, jeopardize their physical safety, and so on. It is reasonable to conclude that more creativity and creative defenses or alternatives in the field of cybersecurity will help to bridge the gender gap.

Ways to Combat Gender Gap in Cybersecurity

Tackle Representation

We're examining who we employ and how we hire carefully. I have no doubt that people who seek a position in cybersecurity are adequately reviewed. But what about people who didn't fill out an application? Men will look for a position if they satisfy 60% of the prerequisites, whereas women will only apply if they match 100% of the qualifications, according to a 2014 HP report.

While progress has been made since then, there are still many excellent, competent, and ambitious women who aren't pursuing positions on my or your team. Consider how you structure job requirements, urge women to seek out stretch possibilities, and recall the research when a stack of resumes arrives on your desk there are undoubtedly talented, competent female candidates who aren't in that stack.

Help Women Progress

Make sure to evaluate all the candidates fairly with respect to their capabilities. Promote them and help them seek promotion. Encourage them as much as you can and make them progress in a field like cybersecurity.

Become a Mentor

Committing to mentorship is especially critical for young women. Both men and women should serve as mentors. We sometimes put a lot of effort into finding female mentors for competent women, which is fantastic. Mentors, both men, and women can assist women to advance in their careers by providing coaching, support, and direction.

Sponsoring women in cybersecurity is equally crucial, albeit in a different way. Sponsors should be senior executives who advocate for their sponsors and help them develop in their careers. Starting today, anybody and everyone can be a mentor in the organization. If you're a senior executive, boost the ante and serve as both a mentor and a supporter for both men and women in your company. You could also gain a lot from this time commitment. There's no excuse not to start mentoring now if you want to expand your network and gain information throughout your firm.

Conclusion

Boosting diversity in the cybersecurity business by hiring more people from diverse backgrounds can assist everyone's online security by allowing data security teams to examine and defend against ideas and attack strategies they may not have contemplated before. Broadening the cybersecurity sector not only helps it better represent the population, but it can also offer different ways of thinking and expertise to the table but it may also help cybersecurity team members better understand how the malicious hacking operational processes they're attempting to defend networks against work.