Only 1 in 4: It's Time for Women to Join the Cybersecurity Frontier

Article written by: Lakkshanasre Viyasarramanujam

Article designed by: Lakkshanasre Viyasarramanujam and Natasha Gumpula

(Image from Scientific American)

The Stark Reality

In a world that is pervaded by ever-evasive technology, do you know that only about 24% of the global cybersecurity workforce are women? It’s crazy to think that while

we know women are now considered in the equal standards of men today, the cybersecurity field still lacks clarity on this fact. This fact is evidence that a lack of representation is shown in this field — it limits the diversity of ideas, perspectives, and innovation that modern cybersecurity desperately needs. Is it because of a lack of confidence that women have? Maybe. Or is it the ideas that get overlooked in male-dominated rooms? More likely so. Yet, even so, it doesn’t reflect the lack of capability. It lies in the lack of opportunity this field presents for women. It’s time for women to step up. 

Breaking it Down

The path to a career in cybersecurity can often be a challenge, especially for young women, who often come across various, yet invisible hurdles. One feeling that is

common amongst young women in a dominated field is Imposter Syndrome, and it's specifically acute when women don’t see anyone that looks like them in the careers or roles they aspire to be.

This reality is not only present in computer science or cybersecurity fields — it is universal. But, the perception of it is not. Women often face these biases, subconsciously, because they see there is a lack of female role models in this field. This can often lead to self-doubt and constantly feeling the need to over-prove their expertise just because they think “I am not good enough” or having people say that success is due to luck, not skill. Certainly, that is not true however. Some women feel that their contributions are often overlooked. Having contributions being passed over to someone else for credit is often how women don’t end up joining complex roles (since they would always work “behind the scenes”). 

So, feeling inferior is just a symptom of an exclusive culture, and it should not be taken as a statement for your ability. Use your talent. But, how will you do that?

Break Free

Cyber threats are complex and even diverse across multiple audiences. If people are protecting our data, but are approaching the problem from the same angle, there will

always be weaknesses to the solution. 

Women are needed for a smarter defense against these cyber threats. After all, every cyber threat (like a phishing email or data breach) contains some sort of human element. With the perspective of women, they are able to bring more life experiences, empathy, and intuitive understanding of the problem to the table. Many of these soft skills are absolutely vital for anticipating how social engineering attacks and vulnerabilities fall into place. A diverse team also strengthens communication because when you have a varied team, it creates a need for better collaboration, processes, and a clear face for solutions. Under high pressure situations, the essentials of the diversity of the team becomes a clear need to resolve a cyber problem much faster. It's the global resilience that adds more value to any cyber security operation being implemented. By including more women in the field, this ensures that systems are being built safer, more ethically and inclusively sound for digital communities around the world. 

What Should Be Your Next Move?

The cybersecurity field is in demand of skilled, female representatives and if you really think you are interested in the cybersecurity field, start by joining school or club organizations that focus on cybersecurity goals. Cyber for Youth supports the education of cybersecurity, so people can learn more about this field, while trying to educate the younger generation as well. Other groups like Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) or Girls Who Code are also great ways that help young women start their journey in cybersecurity, guided by a powerful network of peers and mentors. 

Joining a vastly evolving tech field also requires skilling up continuously. It’s best to start with free online courses that teach networking, ethical hacking, or digital safety to familiarize yourself with hardcore essentials of the field and gain entry-level certifications. It’s even better to start getting hands-on experience so CTFs are a great way to challenge yourself and test skills you’ve learned in a simulated environment. 

The cybersecurity field is an incredible room for innovation and building future infrastructure to secure it for communities in the digital future. The time for women who want to join is not tomorrow. It starts today. 

Works Cited

Cheryan, Sapna, et al. “There Are Too Few Women in Computer Science and Engineering.” Scientific American, 27 July 2022, www.scientificamerican.com/article/there-are-too-few-women-in-computer-science-and-engineering/.

Dean, Brian. “The Latest Women in Cybersecurity Stats (Nov 2025) - Programs.com.” Programs.com, 21 July 2025, programs.com/resources/women-in-cybersecurity-stats/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Moody, Kathryn. “Gender Gap Persists in Cybersecurity Field despite Available Opportunities.” HR Dive, 4 Oct. 2024, www.hrdive.com/news/gender-gap-persists-in-cybersecurity-field-despite-available-opportunities/728940/.

Quinn, Holly. “What’s Really Causing the Cybersecurity Gender Gap?” Technical.ly, Technically Media, 11 Apr. 2023, technical.ly/diversity-equity-inclusion/women-cybersecurity-gender-gap/.

“Why Are There Fewer Women than Men in Cybersecurity?” Bankinfosecurity.com, 2025, www.bankinfosecurity.com/blogs/are-there-fewer-women-than-men-in-cybersecurity-p-3584. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.