Leading UK cyber security experts have called on women to be each other’s allies and support as they develop careers in the sector. The Celebrating Women in Cyber Security and Breaking Down Barriers online conference, held on International Women’s Day heard from a diverse panel of headline speakers.
These included Dr Claudia Natanson, chair of trustees of the UK Cyber Security Council; Professor Lisa Short, founder of Areté; Stephanie Itimi, CEO of Seidea; and Nicola Hudson, director of communications at the UK government’s National Cyber Security Council (NCSC).
Hosted by the UK Cyber Security Council and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) UK, the event not only celebrated women working in the sector but also aimed to inspire women to further their careers and to attract more women into the industry.
Dr Natanson, a former nuclear scientist who moved into cyber security, told delegates that women should believe in themselves and never give up. “I know in many of my journeys I have had to dig deep to find that conviction and strength mentally that I never even knew existed,” she said. “We must be prepared to dig deep, using our own self-belief, to get to those convictions.”
She also urged women working in such a male-dominated industry to find trusted support: “Without good support, it’s a lot to ask and we must create support and safe havens for women as they enter the profession,” she added.
Nicola Hudson, director of communications at the UK government’s National Cyber Security Council (NCSC), described the “startling” statistics found in the latest Decrypting Diversity: Diversity and Inclusion in Cyber Security report, by the agency and KPMG.
The report, the second to focus on progression and diversity in the cyber security sector, found 36% of those working in the industry identified as female – up from 31% in 2020 – while 66% identified as male.
Many of the female respondents were younger, suggesting they were at the beginning of their careers. “We really need to ensure that women are supported in reaching leadership positions and being visible and active there,” she said.
Speaking about thought leadership, Professor Lisa Short told delegates that increasing the number of women in leadership roles requires actions, not words.
“Words are cheap, actions aren’t,” she said. “It will make people uncomfortable; they ought to be uncomfortable. You need to make the world uncomfortable because we are tired of not being at the table. Women have the right to have a sense of parity.
“What sets us apart? It’s our guts, tenacity and courage because a lot of us leaders have had to fight. We all need to step up and we need the industry to make changes. We don’t need more confidence, we don’t need fixing. What we need is for the industry to make changes. Platitudes are not enough.”
Speaking after the event chair and co-host Laura Wellstead, WiCyS UK President, said: “Cybersecurity is a mission-critical priority for organisations, yet the profession of cyber security continues to be plagued by a major skills shortage.
“Cyber needs to be rebranded as a career in business rather than a career in tech or in the basement. We need a change in cyber culture that makes the profession more attractive to women and offers great career development opportunities that are accessible and equal.
“The cyber talent gap can’t be solved overnight and will take time, however there are fundamental steps we should all be taking to improve long-term stability,” she said. “We must move on always from talking about problems our industry faces and instead focus on solutions by working together to learn, showcase and educate.”
