Breaking Barriers: The Growing Role of Women in Cyber

PROGRESS AND PERSISTENT GAPS

Over the past decade, women’s representation in cybersecurity has improved, though the pace is slower than many hoped. In 2015, when we first published a Women in Security issue of the Feats of Strength magazine, women held roughly 11 percent of cybersecurity roles; by 2025, that share has now grown to about 25 percent. Yet more recent data suggests the figure remains closer to 22 percent globally (ISC²). Even as the baseline has shifted upward, much of the growth has stalled in recent years (ASIS).

But representation at the top remains elusive. Despite overall gains, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. Only a small proportion of CISOs and executive security roles are held by women (Cyber Magazine). In many organizations, the security teams still include no women at all, a striking indicator of persistent structural barriers (Enterprise Security Tech). These patterns suggest that the challenge lies not just in hiring, but in retaining, promoting, and supporting women throughout their careers.

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION & CAREER OWNERSHIP

Women entering cybersecurity tend to come in with strong academic backgrounds, which serve as critical tools of credibility and preparation. In many cases, their higher education, especially graduate work, provides exposure to formal research methods, risk assessment, policy frameworks, and leadership thinking that extend beyond pure technical skills. That broader perspective helps women translate security concerns into business-level conversations, strengthening their influence and value within organizations.

Furthermore, advanced degrees help accelerate the path to leadership by giving women a foundation to advocate for more strategic roles. In an environment where some still question the legitimacy or expertise of women in cyber, credentials help open doors and support internal recognition. Beyond that, education often brings access to networks, mentors, and research communities, connections that fuel professional growth and expand opportunities for impact.

THE VALUE OF WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY

Increasing the number of women in cybersecurity is not merely a matter of equity, it delivers strategic advantage. Women bring diverse perspectives that can challenge groupthink and broaden thinking around threat patterns, risk modeling, and resilience planning. Because cyber adversaries constantly innovate, having more varied lenses helps defenders spot anomalous patterns that a homogeneous team might overlook.

In junior and mid-level roles, women often excel in bridging technical and business domains. Their communication skills, empathy, and cross-functional orientation help translate security requirements to non-technical stakeholders, ensuring adoption and alignment. At the leadership level, many women emphasize building inclusive cultures, mentoring, and empowering teams, practices that reduce turnover, drive team performance, and foster long-term resilience. In short, women bring not only technical capability but relational intelligence, strategic empathy, and durable team culture to cybersecurity.

WORKING DYNAMICS

Among women in the cybersecurity field, job satisfaction remains relatively high, though with some concerning trends. In the ISC² study, about two-thirds of women in cybersecurity reported being satisfied in their roles, comparable to men, though satisfaction has declined in recent years. Yet women are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of workforce shifts: 32% of women said their teams faced layoffs in the past year, compared to 23% of men (TechRepublic).

Other structural disparities persist. Women report experiencing harassment and discrimination at rates far above average, and the pay gap remains significant, women in cybersecurity commonly earn less than men in equivalent roles (TechRepublic). These pressures intensify when women lack peers or mentors, making the journey more fraught for those breaking into technical or executive ranks.

PATHWAYS AND MOTIVATION

Women often enter cybersecurity via non-traditional routes. Some come from tech-adjacent disciplines, others transition from IT, audit, compliance, or privacy. Unlike men who may enter via deeply technical paths, women more often cite mentorship, exposure through adjacent functions, or problem-solving curiosity as their motivators (ISC²). Recognizing these multiple pathways is key to recruiting and retaining women in the field.

Professional communities also matter significantly. There are numerous organizations created to bring together women in cybersecurity and provide support, peer networks, scholarships, and visibility for women and underrepresented groups. Such communities help provide not just knowledge but confidence and belonging—crucial for retention in a demanding, often lonely field.

LOOKING AHEAD

While we’ve come from 10% to 22–25% representation, the road to parity is still long. Leadership roles, particularly CISOs and executives, remain overwhelmingly male. Cultural biases, pay inequity, and professional isolations continue to block many women’s progression. Yet the growing presence of female security professionals, stronger community ecosystems, and rising awareness offer real momentum.

To sustain this growth, organizations must invest in mentorship, equitable promotion practices, inclusive cultures, and early exposure to cybersecurity for girls and young women. When security strategies benefit from diverse perspectives, organizations become more resilient and responsive to evolving threats. The future of cybersecurity depends not just on stronger technology, but on more inclusive teams, voices, and leaders.

WORKS CITED
“ISC² Report: Women Comprise 22% of the Cybersecurity Workforce.” ISC² Insights, 2025, www.isc2.org/Insights/2025/03/Women-Comprise-22-percent-of-the-Cybersecurity-Workforce.
“Women’s Role in Filling the Workforce Gap.” ISC² Insights, 2024, www.isc2.org/Insights/2024/04/Women-in-Cybersecurity-Report-Inclusion-Advancement-Pay-Equity.
“Women Lose Jobs at Disproportionate Rate in Cyber Layoffs.” TechRepublic, techrepublic.com/article/women-in-cyber-security-2024-isc2.
“Women in Cybersecurity: 2022 Report.” Cybersecurity Ventures, 2022, cybersecurityventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Women-In-Cybersecurity-2022-Report-Final.pdf.