Not (only) a man’s world

IT: UNCONSCIOUS GENDER BIASES PLAY PART IN INEQUALITY

Less than a quarter of cybersecurity jobs are filled by women.

What image comes to mind when you think of an information technology (IT) expert? Be honest. You probably pictured a man with glasses, trying to hack into a system.

The global cybersecurity space is still male-dominated, despite growing skills shortages amid the surge in cyber threats.

Stereotypes, discrimination and gender gaps remain a challenge for women within the cyber space, with 83% having experienced exclusion at some point in their career.

Channel manager for South Africa at cybersecurity company Fortinet Julie Noizeux Inder said the industry needs female applicants more than ever due to soaring demand for solutions and services.

Nonprofit International Information System Security Certification Consortium’s (ISC2) 2022 Cybersecurity Workforce Study revealed that 3.4 million more skilled cybersecurity professionals were needed globally.

“Yet unconscious gender biases have resulted in women either being excluded, or choosing not to enter the industry at all,” Inder said.

Despite having seen more young women entering the industry in recent years, there was still a huge gender imbalance.

Citing ISC2’s Women in Cybersecurity Workforce report, Inder said women working in the cybersecurity space accounted for nearly a quarter of the workforce globally.

“Even in the under-30 group, women represent only 26% of the cybersecurity workforce,” she said.

While gender pay gaps are closing, many female cybersecurity professionals still believe they earn less than their male counterparts, according to the ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study.

Meanwhile, Women in Cybersecurity’s

State of Inclusion of Women in Cybersecurity report revealed most women in the field often feel disrespected, excluded and unable to get ahead.

Inder said women working in the IT and cybersecurity sectors encountered occasional disrespect or exclusion.

“For example, in a meeting, men and women alike may assume you are attending to take the minutes, or in a marketing capacity,” she said.

“Many people just take for granted that women don’t work in a technical capacity.

“In recruitment drives, those interviewing candidates may show unconscious bias, too.

“You need to be conscious of a tendency to choose people similar to you in terms of gender and interest and make an effort to build more diverse teams.”

She believes women bring “much-needed” softer skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving to the mix.

“Women are just as capable technically, plus they may also bring ... new dynamics to the team,” she said.

There were more roles than just technical positions, such as sales, marketing and channel managers.

“Female professionals might enter the sector bringing their experience in one of these areas and go on to develop technical skills in their new role,” she said.

Inder, who grew up with parents and relatives who worked in the IT space, said she initially believed it was a man’s world.

“I was in my mid-20s when I realised there was an opportunity for me in IT. I think many women in my generation thought the same and it’s only really in the past 10 to 15 years that things started changing,” she said.

She believes the gender gap within the sector could stem from early education.

“I think all children are equally exposed to digital technology, but there is likely economic inequality that means some children have less access than others.

“The belief that cybersecurity is a man’s world must be challenged and changed from an early age,” Inder added.

Women are just as capable technically