Introduction
Cybersecurity, like many industries, is struggling to make sense of continued macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. The ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study found that 75% of cyber professionals believe that the current threat landscape is the most challenging it has been in the past five years, while more than two-thirds (67%) report that their organization lacks the cybersecurity staff needed to prevent and troubleshoot security issues. While the global cybersecurity workforce increased by 8.7% year-on-year to 5.5 million professionals, the highest ISC2 has ever recorded, the workforce gap is growing even faster, meaning that despite record numbers of people working in the profession, there is still a worrying number of unfilled demand in critical areas. The profession needs to grow by almost 75% to close this gap. One prominent area to look at to address this issue is the diversity of the profession. For various historical reasons, cybersecurity has not performed very well in this area. Attracting and retaining more individuals from non-traditional career and educational backgrounds, including attracting more women and professionals of color, is essential to address the workforce shortage.
Globally, 14,865 people took part in the 2023 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Survey. Of this, 17% of the respondents were women. While this is a worryingly low figure compared to other sectors like the legal profession (53% women) and the accountancy sector (46% women), we took a deeper look at the data and discovered a number of positive trends, including women’s pathways into the profession, the roles they play within cybersecurity teams and the career path similarities with men in many areas. We also drilled further into the data around persistent challenges regarding salary, satisfaction and authenticity.
Report in Detail
Part 1: Women in the Profession
Part 2: Job Satisfaction, the Persistent Pay Gap and Ongoing Challenges
Methodology
Findings in this report are derived from the 2023 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study based on online survey data collected in collaboration with Forrester Research, Inc., in April and May 2023 from 14,865 cybersecurity practitioners (2,400 of whom identified as women). The respondents reside in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. A detailed explanation of the estimation methodology for the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap is included in the report at www.isc2.org/research.
About ISC2
ISC2 is the world’s leading member organization for cybersecurity professionals, driven by our vision of a safe and secure cyber world. Our more than 600,000 members, candidates and associates around the globe are a force for good, safeguarding the way we live. Our award-winning certifications – including cybersecurity’s premier certification, the CISSP® – enable professionals to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities at every stage of their careers. ISC2 strengthens the influence, diversity and vitality of the cybersecurity profession through advocacy, expertise and workforce empowerment that accelerates cyber safety and security in an interconnected world. Our charitable foundation, The Center for Cyber Safety and Education, helps create more access to cyber careers and educate those most vulnerable. Learn more and get involved at ISC2.org. Connect with us on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Part 1: Women in the Profession
Part 2: Job Satisfaction, the Persistent Pay Gap and Ongoing Challenges