We’re Do Beta, a group of cyber security/tech leaders brought together through the Empowering Women to Lead Cyber Security Program by Empowering You.
This prestigious program aims to develop a sustainable community of empowered female leaders in cyber security and InfoSec roles across the UK.
Our chosen theme to study is recruitment and retention challenges for women in cyber, which has led us to explore:
Click the link below to read our full report.
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In 2021, ISC2 conducted a study revealing the distinct obstacles faced by diverse cyber security professionals globally. The findings indicate that many challenges are widespread, sharing similarities in both problems and potential solutions.
Feedback from surveyed professionals included observations such as:
The written articles, interviews and resources below explore this topic in more depth.
The recruitment and retention of women in cyber security is crucial for expanding the sector’s capabilities and fostering innovation.
Despite growing awareness, women make up only 22% of the global cyber security workforce, facing barriers such as lack of encouragement in STEM, insufficient support during key life stages, and scarcity of role models.
Initiatives like targeted recruitment, flexible working policies, and mentorship programs are essential to improving female participation and retention in the industry.
Read More In a conversation with Gil Warner,Business Development Director at NormCyber, we discussed how boosting women’s participation in cyber security requires early exposure, targeted support, mentorship, and showcasing diverse roles.
Retention challenges, like isolation and unclear progression, can be tackled through inclusive cultures, flexible work, and strong sponsorship. True allyship means listening, advocating, and committing to lasting change. Inclusion isn’t just fair; it’s a strategic advantage.
Read More
“Diversity is a cybersecurity imperative. Diverse teams detect risks faster, innovate better, and better reflect the people we protect. It’s time for organisations to move from performative allyship to real, systemic change.”
Amelia Hewitt, CNI Cyber Advisory and Founder of CybAid
During our research, we asked Gordon Adam, Mastercard Manager of Cyber Threat Intelligence Relationships, for his perspective. His insightful responses express how women bring valuable skills like problem-solving and confidence to cyber security, yet remain underrepresented in technical roles.
Encouraging their participation requires addressing systemic challenges, offering equal opportunities early on, and supporting self-belief despite industry biases. Retention is hindered by the sector’s high-stress culture, and while allyship is important, it must be balanced with fairness and sensitivity to avoid missteps.
Read More We asked Sinan Uğur Atak, Head of Revenue Operations at DeepInfo, for his thoughts on the subject. Here’s what he had to say.
What unique skills or experiences do you think women bring to cyber security?
Sadly, only less than 10% of my colleagues were women directly working for cyber security roles. I have had many in the sector working in cyber security marketing, sales, HR etc but we do not see them a lot in direct cyber security roles. The ones I had the chance to work with were amazing problem solvers and their confidence in themselves was exemplary.
Do you have any ideas or recommendations on encouraging women to pursue a cyber security career?
This is a bit challenging because women encounter more challenges in this heavily male dominant sector. They generally have to prove more to get respect. Of course, this was (and is) for most other sectors but on this one more woman need to be beacons to others which is a huge burden on their shoulders.
This sector has been crying out for years for lack of trained and skilled personnel gap so if they are up for challenge, I would recommend them to silence the voice of others and focus on self-improvement. At the end of the day, if they are good, this sector needs them desperately.
What do you see as the issues affecting retention of women in cyber security careers, and how would you recommend addressing them?
This sector is filled with paranoid people who have been thought to fear and always be careful. This is not a high quality of life in general, and we see low retention in general. I don’t have a solid recommendation to solve this on a personal level.
How do you show up as an ally, or do you have any advice for being an ally to women in cyber security?
Equal opportunity and room to grow in early stages should be there no matter what. I try to provide this on my teams, but they are cyber security sales and marketing teams. The same should be provided everywhere.
To be honest, I’m afraid to do more as an ally because of two reasons: One, I cannot be fair if I give any personnel more opportunity than others. Two, I have seen so many toxic behaviours that women had to deal with and I’m afraid to be misunderstood by them if I treat them any differently.
Gender equality initiatives in the workplace are vital for fostering an inclusive and diverse environment. This infographic provides a visual representation of some key ideas we consider to have a positive impact. By implementing these initiatives, organisations can foster innovation, improve employee satisfaction, and enhance overall performance.
We asked renowned hacker and speaker Glenn Wilkinson for his perspective on this topic and share his responses below.
Any ideas for encouraging more women to get into the field?
We need to normalise different entry points. Not everyone needs to be a hacker or come from a STEM background. Highlighting varied roles, showing real stories, and making space for curiosity without gatekeeping can go a long way. Confidence often comes after exposure, not before, so helping people take the first step matters. But, at the same time support women who want to pursue deep technical roles.
What do you think causes people to leave? And how do we fix that?
Feeling like the odd one out, or like you have to prove yourself twice, gets tiring. I think a lot of retention comes down to culture. e.g. is there trust, support, and space to grow? Fixing that means more than a few workshops. It’s about who gets listened to, who gets promoted, and what behaviour actually gets rewarded.
How do you try to be an ally?
For me, it’s mostly about being aware of the dynamic in the room. Who’s being interrupted? Who’s being dismissed? Sometimes it’s calling that out, sometimes it’s making space for someone to lead or speak. And sometimes it’s just shutting up and listening properly.
Anything else?
Just that diversity isn’t about box ticking. It genuinely makes the team sharper. Different brains spot different threats. So, the more voices we have around the table, the better the defence.
2024 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, Oct 31, 2024 (ISC2)
Research: Women “Excluded” in the Cybersecurity Workspace by ISC2 and WiCyS, Aug 27, 2024 (ISC2)
Survey: Women Comprise 22% of the Cybersecurity Workforce, Mar 6, 2025 (ISC2)
Case Study: Diversity and inclusion in cyber security (Greater Manchester Combined Authority)
Diversity in Cybersecurity: What It Means and Why You Need It, Feb, 2023 (Process Unity)
Why diversity in cybersecurity matters, Feb 2, 2024 (Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands)
Women entering cybersecurity via non-traditional paths, Mar 26, 2025 (THINK Digital Partners)
Women make up a fifth of cybersecurity workforce, Mar 7, 2025 (THINK Digital Partners)
Cybersecurity Job Satisfaction Plummets, Women Hit Hardest, Mar 6, 2025 (Infosecurity Magazine)
Women in Cybersecurity Face Barriers to Hiring, Advancement, Apr 15, 2024 (ITPro Today)
Closing the Skills Gap for Women in Cybersecurity, May 20, 2024 (Fortra)
Women In Cybersecurity, with Jane Frankland (Jane Frankland)
Women in Cybersecurity & IWD 2025: Why I’m Done!, March 8 2025 (LinkedIn)
UK Government changes to flexible working regulations fall short, Aug 22, 2023 (Close The Gap)
Flexible working: Overview – GOV.UK
Returning to Work As a Parent in the Tech & Cyber Sectors – UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration
Key Findings from the ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study | NICCS
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