Women in Cyber: Exploring the barriers, redesigning the profession
Published March 2023 by Dr Ivano Bongiovanni and Megan Gale.
Significance
It is well-recognised that women are under-represented in the cybersecurity industry. This under-representation impacts the ability of organisations and institutions in the industry to draw on diversity of thought, skills, and experiences and, in short, be innovative. Under-representation is the most evident symptom of the challenges that women face when entering, or remaining, in the industry.
Aim
While the impacts of under-representation are relatively well acknowledged, it is the causes of the under-representation which need to be understood, further researched, and ultimately, resolved.
Method
We reached out to three groups in industry (students, professionals and hiring managers) and interviewed participants about barriers to entry, retention and progression in the field.
The project then presented the identified barriers to members of the cybersecurity industry. In design-led workshops, participants worked collaboratively to develop short-, medium- and long-term solutions to reimagine the profession in ways encouraging and engaging to women.
Impact
By engaging with women in cybersecurity and hiring managers at different career levels, this project identified challenges that women are currently facing in entering, progressing, and remaining in cybersecurity. Participants also proposed practical solutions to those challenges.
Such solutions can be used by industry and government to inform future workforce planning, policy development and cultural workplace and industry practices to encourage more diversity, and women, into cybersecurity.
Contact Dr Ivano Bongiovanni to learn more about the research.
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