Women Are Breaking Into Cybersecurity, But Losing Jobs Faster Than Men - TechRepublic

___ SECURITY SHARE Women Are Breaking Into Cybersecurity, But Losing Jobs Faster Than Men In 2024, women accounted for 22% of global security teams on average, compared to 17% in 2023, according to ISC2. WRITTEN BY FIONA JACKSON MAR 7, 2025 Gender diversity in cybersecurity is slowly improving but inequities continue—a new report finds that the field has 5% more women than in 2023, but that they’re more exposed to other workplace challenges than male counterparts. About 32% of women respondents said their organizations experienced security layoffs over the last year compared to just 23% of male respondents. For Women’s History Month this March, ISC2 delved deeper into data collected for its 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. The certification and training organization surveyed 15,852 individuals responsible for cybersecurity at workplaces worldwide, of which 14% were women. In 2024, women accounted for 22% of global security teams on average, compared to 17% in 2023, with the U.S. slightly below average on representation at 19.2%. But 16% of respondents said their company’s security team contains no women at all, and only 5% claim to have an even split of men and women. Women employed in cybersecurity roles do tend to hold seniority, as 55% of female respondents said they are in managerial or higher positions and 53% are able to make hiring decisions. Only 7% are in C-Suite positions like CTO and CISO, but there are fewer of these roles available. SEE: Women in Tech: Steps Leaders Can Take to Improve Retention and Career Opportunities Must-read security coverage UK Police Convicts Pair in £5.5 Billion Bitcoin Launder Case Blackpoint Cyber vs. Arctic Wolf: Which MDR Solution is Right for You? How GitHub Is Securing the Software Supply Chain 8 Best Enterprise Password Managers Women disproportionately exposed to workplace challenges The report found that 67% of women in cybersecurity are satisfied with their job, compared to 66% of men. While this figure is high for both sexes, it marks an ongoing declining trend. In 2022, 82% of women and 73% of men reported job satisfaction, and 76% and 70% respectively in 2023. The analysts put this trend down to growing “economic and workload pressures.” There are well-documented talent shortages in the industry leading to overworked staff, but the ISC2 data suggests that women are being more exposed to other workplace challenges than their male counterparts. In addition to the disparity between women and men who experienced security layoffs over the last year, 40% of women respondents experienced cybersecurity budget cuts and 42% experienced hiring freezes, compared to 36% and 37% of men, respectively. Only 31% of men in cybersecurity noted that their teams had frozen promotions and pay rises compared to 36% of women. “The data shows that the organizations where female participants work have experienced cybersecurity cutbacks at higher rates than male participants,” ISC2 analysts said. FIONA JACKSON Fiona Jackson is a news writer who started her journalism career at SWNS press agency, later working at MailOnline, an advertising agency, and TechnologyAdvice. Her work spans human interest and consumer tech reporting, appearing in prominent media outlets such as TechHQ, The Independent, Daily Mail, and The Sun. RECOMMENDED FOR YOU... AI OpenAI Introduces Password-Free Login for Millions of ChatGPT Users OpenAI’s Advanced Account Security lets ChatGPT and Codex users replace passwords with passkeys or security keys, but recovery is limited. AMINU ABDULLAHI MAY 1, 2026 SECURITY Microsoft Flagged 8.3B Phishing Emails in Q1 as QR Codes, CAPTCHAs Rise Microsoft flagged 8.3 billion phishing emails as attackers turned to QR codes, fake CAPTCHAs, PhaaS kits, and file-based payloads. JOSEPH OFONAGORO MAY 1, 2026 SECURITY Billions of Chrome Users Urged to Update After Google Patches 30 Security Flaws Google patched 30 Chrome vulnerabilities, including four Critical flaws. Here’s what users should know and how to update Chrome and Firefox. AMINU ABDULLAHI APR 30, 2026 SECURITY Samsung’s Free Android Upgrade Brings Better Security to Galaxy Phones Samsung’s One UI 8.5 update may bring stronger Galaxy security controls as users report battery drain and overheating after recent patches. ESTHER SHEIN APR 30, 2026