Women are more likely than men to move into cybersecurity from a non-IT job, but are also more likely to have studied cybersecurity or a related field than their male counterparts.
The difference in routes into cyber roles was highlighted in research by cybersec non-profit ISC2, which showed that 61% of women working in cybersecurity had previously had a non-IT role, compared to 72 percent of men. The figures also showed that 17% of male entrants had previously worked in the military, compared to 14% of women.
But women were more likely to have studied cybersecurity. Just under a quarter of women had a bachelor’s degree in cyber or a related field, compared to 18% of men, while 18% of women had a cybersecurity certification, compared to 16% of men.
The different was even more pronounced when it came to advanced degrees in cybersecurity or related fields. That was the case for 18% of women, and just 12% of men.
Likewise, women were almost twice as likely as men to have done a cybersecurity internship, or to have done a cybersecurity apprenticeship.
This could all suggest than female entrants are more deliberate in their path into cybersecurity – getting the certificates and spending time on internships and the like, before joining the workforce proper.
See also: UK.gov's “ostrich” approach to cybersecurity leaves country “exposed and unprepared”
The construction, retail, automotive and transportation sectors are most open to bringing in cybersecurity staff from outside of the profession, as were mid-size organizations.
That diversity of entry routes is significant as companies try and fill an ongoing cyber skills gap. UK government figures show that almost half of companies were not confident in their ability to deal with a cybersecurity breach of attack.
Part of the solution might be rethinking where they find candidates to fill those frontline roles. ISC2 said “Hiring managers charged with recruiting individuals into cybersecurity roles also need to expand the range of candidates they can attract.”
At the same time, the figures highlighted the role on ongoing certification, for both male and female professions.
