According to a recent study led by the Global Cybersecurity Forum, there is a significant shortage in the global cybersecurity workforce, largely due to a lack of women in the field.
As of 2024, the global workforce in the field of cybersecurity stands at roughly 7.1 million working professionals. Despite organizations around the world heavily investing in cybersecurity products and services, only 72 percent of cybersecurity roles are filled. Overall, less than four qualified professionals exist to fill every five cybersecurity jobs.
This shortfall in cybersecurity professionals could be significantly improved by recruiting new talent and promoting diversity in the field. Although women represent 36 percent of all technology-related roles, they are vastly underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce, comprising less than a quarter of all professionals in the field. Even in the Americas, where the majority of the world’s cybersecurity vendors are located, women are just 25.4 percent of the overall workforce. In Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa, women represent 24.8 percent, 22.4 percent, and 13.5 percent of cybersecurity workers, respectively.
To advance women’s participation in cybersecurity, the Global Cybersecurity Forum has recently announced a new partnership with Duke University. The partnering institutions plan to survey both women working in cybersecurity and those working in other fields to develop actionable insights on how to make cybersecurity a viable career for women.
“We believe that our research will not only help address the global talent shortage in cybersecurity but also foster innovation and cyber resilience,” said David Hoffman, the Steed Family Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity Policy at Duke University. “Through our partnership, we are leveraging our combined expertise to advance gender diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity through evidence-based strategies that encourage women to pursue careers in this far-reaching field.”