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The global cybersecurity workforce remains stagnant at just 11 percent, according to the 2017 Women in Cybersecurity Report[PDF], co-authored by The Executive Women's Forum on Information Security, Risk Management and Privacy (EWF) and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, which partnered with (ISC)2. The report is based on survey responses from over 19,000 information security professionals in 170 countries.
Report co-author and EWF founder Joyce Brocaglia says the most important finding of the report is that "it isn't just one thing" causing the persistent shortage of women in information security, but rather a "confluence of events."
The findings, says Brocaglia, show that women are underrepresented, are paid less than their male colleagues, feel undervalued, and feel discriminated against. "That's what's leading to this stagnation."
The shortage is severe in North America, with only 14 percent of the infosec workforce composed of women, but even more striking elsewhere; women only claim 7 percent of the workforce in Europe, 8 percent in Asia, and 5 percent in the Middle East, according to the report.
"Common sense should tell you we should be doing more about this," says co-author and EWF executive director Lynn Terwoerds, noting that in order to solve the cybersecurity skills shortage, the industry must do a better engaging the female population.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bradley13 on Tuesday March 21 2017, @02:00PM (3 children)
"First, as my wife pointed out: People rightly question the competence of every woman, if they know that some number of them have received qualifications that they are not entitled to"
"Oh your wife said that? Lol, nice try."
In fact, my wife *did* say that. She holds a doctorate in CS from one of the top 50 universities in the world. She has been through all this crap, and has an acidic resentment for any appearance special treatment. She doesn't need it, and doesn't care to have her qualifications called into question by people who pay more attention to her gender than to her abilities. Would it be nicer to have more women in the field? She'd agree wholeheartedly - as long as they are actually capable.
I happen to agree with her, but from a different perspective: I think people should be treated as individuals. Your eye color, the length of your hair, your gender, whether you're left-handed or right-handed - none of those have anything to do with your abilities, and they should all be ignored. Paying attention to irrelevant characteristics is, imho, counterproductive to the stated goal of equal opportunity.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 21 2017, @02:06PM
According to you, she should have replied "Wouldn't it be nicer if there were more blue eyes in the field?" So, why did she wholeheartedly agree to something so inherently inane?
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 21 2017, @03:38PM (1 child)
Its revealing that your entire response was about your being offended at being called out for vaj-washing your misogyny.
And nothing at all to say about how men are swimming in boys-club affirmative action.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 21 2017, @03:50PM
You'd make everybody miserable.