Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Women are underrepresented in the cybersecurity industry, making up only 32% of the workforce.
- Nine influential women in cybersecurity share their experiences, challenges, and perspectives on working in a male-dominated field.
The progression of technology is advancing rapidly, with cybersecurity becoming increasingly relevant in the face of new threats. Despite this, women are still vastly underrepresented in the industry. Recent data shows that women make up only 32% of the workforce in tech-related fields, with many reportedly leaving their roles by the age of 35. This article highlights the experiences and perspectives of nine women who have made significant contributions to the cybersecurity sector:
Serene
Serene, a Bösendorfer-endorsed pianist, coder, and founder of Snowstorm, emphasizes the importance of solving human problems in cybersecurity and the need for a more sane information environment.
Ella Jakubowska
Ella, the Head of digital human rights policy at EDRi, advocates for creating more fair and just workplaces for everyone in the tech industry.
Azam Jangravi
Azam, an Information Security Analyst at Citizen Lab and an exiled Iranian women’s rights activist, believes that more awareness, education, and training opportunities are essential to attract and retain more women in cybersecurity.
Laurie Kirk
Laurie, a security researcher at Microsoft, encourages girls to pursue computer science and cybersecurity education from a young age to increase the number of women in these fields.
Lauren Hendry Parsons
Lauren, the Director of Communications & Advocacy at ExpressVPN, highlights the need for perseverance, confidence, and hard work to operate effectively in a gender-mixed environment.
Juta Gurinaviciute
Juta, the CTO at NordLayer product, Nord Security, emphasizes the importance of talent, passion, and hard work regardless of gender in the tech industry.
Lina Survila
Lina, the PR Team Lead at Surfshark, believes that education is key to attracting more women to the cybersecurity industry and hopes to see more women founders establish projects in the future.
Patricia Egger
Patricia, the Security Risk and Governance Manager at Proton, founded Women in Cyber to highlight the achievements of women in cybersecurity and foster diversity in the tech industry.
Cherlynn Cha
Cherlynn, the Security Operations Center Manager at ExpressVPN, advocates for acknowledging bias and stereotypes in the cybersecurity industry to create a more inclusive environment for women.
