"Unique Insight: Women in the Realm of Cybersecurity"
In an effort to increase gender diversity in the cybersecurity industry, Israeli cybersecurity startup Morphisec has announced the launch of its Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Program. The program aims to attract more women to the field and promote their advancement into leadership positions.
According to the 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study, women currently make up only about 11% of the global cybersecurity workforce. This figure is predicted to increase, with women expected to account for 35% of the workforce by 2031. However, less than 10% of women in the cybersecurity workforce hold leadership roles.
The cybersecurity industry is facing a significant skills shortage, with over one million roles currently unfilled today and a projected 3.5 million unfilled roles by 2021. The industry needs more women due to their ability to see things from multiple perspectives, excel at multi-tasking, and possess traits needed to transform the directions, operating practices, and priorities of security organizations.
The Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Program, initiated by Morphisec's VP of Product Netta Schmeidler, offers three scholarships in the amounts of $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000. The program is open to female students studying for degrees in cybersecurity, information assurance, information security, information systems security, or other sub-disciplines of computer science.
In addition to the scholarship program, Morphisec is also taking part in broader efforts to increase female representation and leadership in cybersecurity. Conferences focused on women in cybersecurity, such as the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) conference, provide opportunities for networking, mentorship, and skill development. Structured educational programs are being developed to nurture women’s leadership skills within cybersecurity, encouraging them to take on roles in startups, research, and executive positions.
Industry acknowledgments of women leaders, like the appointment of pioneering women like Admiral Michelle J. Howard to prominent corporate boards, serve as role models and promote visibility. Organizations like the Global Cyber Alliance are working broadly to improve cybersecurity and include community engagement that supports inclusion and diversity goals.
Managers play a crucial role in promoting gender diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Good managers should approach their teams like conductors, knowing what instruments are in the orchestra and occasionally lowering the volume of one section to give another a leading voice. This metaphor represents encouraging female employees and other employees with less assertive voices to participate in discussions and demonstrate their knowledge and value.
The aim of the program is to heighten awareness of the importance of the field and encourage the exploration of careers in cybersecurity, particularly for women. With these combined efforts, it is hoped that a stronger pipeline for women into cybersecurity roles will be built, promoting advancement into leadership positions and bridging the gender gap in the industry.
- To boost the number of women in leadership positions within the cybersecurity industry, Morphisec's VP of Product Netta Schmeidler has launched the Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Program, offering scholarships for female students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity or related fields in computer science.
- Beyond the scholarship program, Morphisec is also participating in initiatives promoting female representation and leadership in cybersecurity, such as the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) conference, which offers opportunities for networking, mentorship, and skill development.
- Recognizing the value of diversity in the cybersecurity industry, organizations such as the Global Cyber Alliance are working on broad-based initiatives to improve cybersecurity, including community engagement that supports inclusion and diversity goals.
