Diversity
The Diversity Lag It’s Why We Need Women in Tech
Sally Cooper, Operations Director at Ramsac has spent over 30 years in a maledominated industry, here she offers more insight on creating a workplace of diversity and inclusion - one that encompasses disabilities, race and neurodiversity.
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igh profile breaches often eclipse other issues in cybersecurity, including the problematic lack of equality and diversity in tech, IT and cybersecurity. Businesses only really listen to cybersecurity when it’s a cautionary tale told through headlines in the press. In January, for example, the breach in Microsoft’s Exchange Server captured an anxiety associated with these costly and highly public events, which has the power to challenge the reputation of a company. Professionally, the industry suffers from a puzzling shortage of diversity in terms of talent and opportunity, where there is a lack of women and other marginalised identities. This pattern, a kind of diversity lag, is just as systemic and problematic as the absence of minorities in STEM subjects. Cybersecurity is emerging as a critical industry, both economically and out of a necessity to minimise escalating risk varieties. Facing new demand and greater urgency, the diversity dilemma is no longer ignorable as the industry struggles to hire enough talent to fill its ranks.
Why don’t we always see the problem?
Studies regarding IT professionals and recruitment trends demonstrate how diversity is a greater problem 30
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September 2021
than it appears. In fact, lack of diversity can explain why there is a growing shortage of talent entering IT and tech. According to the most recent (ISC)² Cybersecurity report, women are being recruited into the industry at a higher rate. Yet, despite this growth, a mere 33% of cybersecurity professionals are women. Not isolated, another project uncovered how just 13% of Fortune 500 companies have recruited woman in cybersecurity roles, including leadership or management positions. As data studies reveal, the real problem is where perceptions and reality aren’t aligning. In the past five years, there has been a contested view that more women have joined tech, IT and similar industries. Worldwide, 51% of respondents believed that more women have entered the industry; comparatively, those European respondents who were polled perceived a slightly lower increase, imagining that number at 44%. These perceptions have been largely generous. Unfortunately, roles occupied by women in cybersecurity have remained between only 25-33% in the past three years. Troubled by talent shortages, fields with technical roles like those in tech and IT would only benefit from more women and minorities. When diversified, www.pcr-online.biz
