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The Australian cybersecurity industry requires a massive need for more skilled workers. And strong evidence points out that only a few professional cybersecurity people in the industry are women. However, there have been many actions to address these.
Contino, director of People for APAC Laura Petrucelli, noted, “Despite the progress the technology environment has made over the past years, it continues to be very male-dominated, with women seldom getting a voice in the space. While innovation has the power to transform lives, we know that there are still many barriers to equality. Ensuring inclusive practices are in place through recruitment, onboarding, assessment, and promotions is a core part of leadership development, building the assessment criteria on attributes rather than experiences.”
Natalie Apostolou added that in the entirety of the general cybersecurity workforce globally, only 24 per cent are women, and Australia is just at 15 per cent. However, home affairs and cybersecurity minister Clare O’Neil is working hard to change that.
O’Neil noted, “we are embarking on a new era of cybersecurity capability in this country and aiming to be the most cyber-secure country by 2030. Our cybersecurity workforce has never been more important.”
Petrucelli added that representation and participation are essential in the workforce and that companies should focus on creating opportunities to support future generations and should not be gender-biassed.
Eset, a Czech software company specialising in cybersecurity, has created an annual ‘Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Program.’ The program provides a $5,000 grant for a chosen woman majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
O’Neil added that “our cybersecurity workforce has never been more important. The percentage of women in cybersecurity is growing, and initiatives such as ESET’s scholarships complement the government’s work to support that influx of women. Women rising through ranks in cybersecurity will encourage the younger generation into STEM-related studies and technical roles.”
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