Organizations worldwide are facing new digital threats, often rising faster than security teams can address them. This further compounded by a global shortage of cybersecurity skills, with an estimated 4.8 million extra professionals needed.
Yet despite the urgent need for talent, women remain significantly under-represented in the cybersecurity field, making up only 22 percent of the global workforce, according to a survey by ISC².
Saudia Arabia’s Effat University argues that this is not due to lack of interest or ability but stems from limited exposure, persistent misconceptions, and a shortage of visible role models.
“When women enter cybersecurity, they don’t merely fill positions, they transform how we think about security. Their perspectives help us identify blind spots and develop more comprehensive defense strategies that protect everyone,” says Sohail Khan, assistant professor and chair of the Computer Science Department at Effat University.
Cybersecurity requires understanding complex problems, anticipating threats, and collaborating to create resilient solutions. Diverse teams consistently outperform homogeneous ones in these areas. Women also bring strong communication skills, ethical perspectives, and analytical thinking, all essential in modern cybersecurity roles.
Khan adds, “Diverse teams are more resilient teams. Women bring analytical rigor, collaborative approaches, and fresh problem-solving methods that are essential when defending against increasingly sophisticated threats.”
Hiring managers are increasingly putting more weight on soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and analytical thinking. This means that cybersecurity isn’t just growing, it’s becoming more inclusive and attainable. The bottom line is that the world needs more cybersecurity professionals, organizations thrive when women are part of the team, and women deserve access to one of the fastest-growing, most impactful career paths.
You can read more on the Effat University blog.
What’s your experience of gender balance in cybersecurity? Let us know in the comments.
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