By Celine Gajnik

Gone are the days when technical professions were still seen as a man's business. More and more women are interested in the field of technology — and are increasingly creating leadership positions. The “Women in Cybersecurity” study recently published by the SANS Institute deals with precisely this topic, namely the current situation of female decision-makers in cybersecurity. In the survey, women in management roles as IT security experts report on their work and professional career, which has led them into this field.

One of the results of the SANS report is that there are a number of ways to get into this profession. For 41 percent of those surveyed, entering a senior position in cybersecurity was primarily a question of whether they were in the right place at the right time. If you want to take your luck into your own hands, you should focus on certificates: For 34 percent of the participants in the study, certificates acquired were relevant to the advancement of their career.

Mentoring can also play an important role in professional development. However, there is a lot of catching up to do here, as 25 percent of those surveyed stated that they had never received any form of mentoring. On the other hand, good news is that women account for an estimated 20 percent of the cybersecurity workforce worldwide by the end of 2019, which has almost doubled in six years compared to the 11 percent in 2013.

It is of great importance that this gap now begins to close and that more women become active in cybersecurity. IT is already lacking qualified personnel and the lack of experts will continue to be a serious problem in the future. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 546,200 new jobs will be created in computer and information technology in the U.S. alone between 2018 and 2028, which is an above-average number compared to other sectors.

These statistics show the enormous demand for experts. In view of this, it is important that as many jobs in cybersecurity as possible be filled by women. This is the only way to meet the increasing need for cybersecurity specialists.

The SANS Institute published further results of the "Women in Cybersecurity" study sponsored by ThreatQuotient and other companies. The full report can be found at the following link: Women in Cybersecurity

— The writer is international senior marketing manager at ThreatQuotient