Cyber Work Podcast: Growing the number of women in cybersecurity with Olivia Rose

Introduction

Cybersecurity is a field on the cutting edge, yet when it comes to gender parity, there’s still much progress to be made. For women, breaking into a male-dominated field like cybersecurity comes with a unique set of challenges.

Data from the (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Report reveals that the landscape of women in cybersecurity is complex and — at least in some ways — evolving: 

• Women make up 24% of the cybersecurity workforce — a major increase from 11% in 2017
• Women earn more degrees and cybersecurity certifications on average
• More women than men hold leadership roles like IT Director, CISO and CIO

Seeing these numbers on the rise is exciting and encouraging. However, not all of the statistics are positive: 

• Of women in cybersecurity, 56% will leave to pursue jobs in another field
• 17% of women earn salaries between $50,000 and $99,999, compared to 29% of men
• Women in security management roles earn an average of $5,000 less than men in the same roles

In Infosec’s podcast “Growing the Number of Women in Cybersecurity,” Oliva Rose, the director of global executive risk solutions at Kudelski Security, shares her experiences as a woman in the field and shares some valuable advice with women considering a career in the cybersecurity world. 

What can companies do to encourage women and minorities to take cybersecurity jobs? And just as important, how can companies encourage them to stay? 

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Network to overcome isolation 

For many women working in cybersecurity, it’s unfortunately easy to feel like a stranger in a strange land. It’s not uncommon to be the only woman on a team or in an entire department, and the feeling of being the “odd woman out” can be enough to drive women to look for jobs in fields with better minority (Read more...)