Spotlighting the Urgent Need for Diversity in Cybersecurity
It’s no secret that cybersecurity, a growing and high-opportunity field that provides high salaries and a bright future in this digital era, is not diverse—but it needs to be. People of color and women are severely underrepresented in cybersecurity due to factors like a lack of role models and societal norms, and this needs to change.
For some context, BIPOC individuals make up less than half of all jobs in computer science, including cybersecurity. And according to the US Census Bureau, women make up only 24% of everyone in cybersecurity (compared to 76% of men)!
Inclusivity of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders in the workforce is valuable to ensure that cybersecurity solutions serve and benefit all communities. Diversity in cybersecurity would also be beneficial for these reasons:
Diverse teams bring different perspectives to the table. Differing views allow for innovation, something that is essential in the cybersecurity field, where hackers and security threats are constantly evolving. Cybersecurity teams should be multi-faceted in order to be more creative and effective.
Diverse teams avoid more errors/biases and make better decisions than teams with no diversity at all. According to research, oversights become more likely on teams that lack diversity, as seen in the facial recognition software created by engineering teams that failed to include diversity in its creation and testing stages.
Diverse companies have less turnover. Turnover, many times caused by stereotyping and harassment, costs the tech industry $16 billion a year (according to study from the Kapor Center). Creating more diverse work environments in cybersecurity teams and executive positions could help counteract this.
Support diversity in cybersecurity by donating to organizations dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity and computer science fields. Notable examples include Women in Cybersecurity, International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals, Minorities in Cybersecurity, and Girl Security. These examples raise awareness and advocate for representation in cybersecurity on social media and elevate the voices of minorities in technology. Additionally, these organizations provide mentorship programs to POC and girls, workforce training to empower underrepresented groups, and practical knowledge and leadership development to create a diverse generation of global cybersecurity professionals.
With love,
Tiffany Tu
