Security News > 2022 > October > Infosec still (mostly) a boys club

Before organizations can work on retaining female infosec professionals, the industry needs to bring more women into cybersecurity jobs in the first place, she opined.

"A lack of representation can perpetuate and reinforce the gender gap by dissuading women from entering the industry," Vasu Jakkal, a Microsoft Security corporate vice-president, told The Register.

Women currently achieve higher level degrees and certifications than their male counterparts, and place higher value in those certifications, he told The Register.

Once they're in an infosec job women often find a "Broken rung" when trying to climb the corporate ladder in that men are more likely to be promoted.

"Providing these options helps women stay in their careers and move up the ladder," she told The Register.

Keeping women in the industry is good, not only for the sector itself, but for society in general that relies on infosec workers to keep IT systems running, personal and corporate data secure, and prevent cyberthreats from bleeding into physical ones.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/10/15/infosec_boys_club/