International Women in Cyber Day highlights diversity challenges

International Women in Cyber Day spotlights the crucial role of diversity in the cybersecurity sector, a noteworthy initiative that certain companies are actively advocating for.

This day aims to put a spotlight on how more women can be supported in a career in cybersecurity, through celebrating their achievements and encouraging more to join the field. As has been shown, more balanced, diverse teams can boost problem-solving capabilities and can lead to more comprehensive and resilient cybersecurity strategies.

Vivienne Horsfall, Director of Field Marketing at Transmit Security for the Asia Pacific and Japan regions, emphasises the need to attract more women into the sector. She advocates for creative and innovative strategies to engage different age groups.

Horsfall comments, "From integrating cybersecurity into school activities and hackathons to expanding community service projects that teach digital literacy, there are plenty of ways to engage young women."

She continued, "It's about creating opportunities that make cybersecurity accessible and exciting for everyone and building inclusive workplaces where every person, regardless of gender, is encouraged to contribute and innovate."

IT solutions provider CMTG also champions the inclusion of more women in cybersecurity. CMTG has highlighted its commitment to addressing the gender gap as new statistics reveal that only 16% of cybersecurity professionals in Australia are women, a figure that Director Mia Filpo finds unsurprising but sees as an opportunity for improvement.

"While this figure is considerably higher than it was a decade ago, more can be done to inspire the next generation of women to join this dynamic industry," states Filpo.

Filpo points to a lack of awareness and negative perceptions surrounding cybersecurity as factors deterring women from pursuing careers in this sector.

"It’s incredibly important to engage with women as soon as they begin their higher education and highlight the opportunities available to them," she said.

At CMTG, more than 10% of the workforce are women working in various roles, from administration to engineering. However, the company faces challenges in finding female candidates with the right skill set.

"We are finding that female candidates are either too junior or too skilled for the positions available," Filpo commented. "Finding staff with the correct training is challenging, but finding women with the correct qualifications is even harder."

The underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity has been attributed to enduring stereotypes, a lack of female role models, and perceived barriers to entry. Filpo remains hopeful that International Women in Cyber Day will amplify awareness about both the accomplishments of women in the field and the challenges they confront in a male-dominated industry.

"As a female director of a tech business, I know the importance of providing accessible pathways for women to thrive in this industry," she said.

According to Filpo, CMTG is committed to the recruitment and retention of women, aiming to welcome more into this exciting and evolving industry. "We look forward to welcoming more women into this sector and encourage all women to consider forging a career in technology," she said.