Women the key to Australia's cybersecurity: RMIT

RMIT University and the Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN) have partnered on a report that uncovers the shifting gender make-up of Australia’s cybersecurity sector.

Dimensions of the Australian Cyber Security Sector is the first in-depth look into the industry’s gender make-up, where according to the 2021 Census women only represented 17% of the cybersecurity workforce.

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare O’Neil officially launched the report at an industry roundtable to discuss the findings and steps towards a more inclusive cybersecurity workforce for women in Australia.

Key findings from the report include:

• There has been a fourfold increase in the number of females in specialist ICT security roles from 2016 to 2021, compared to a threefold increase for males.
• Over 50% of female respondents were strongly motivated to join the sector to make a difference in society, compared to 44% of male respondents.
• About half the female cybersecurity professional respondents had IT qualifications, compared to two-thirds of male cybersecurity professionals.
• Only 27% of women working in the sector reported having a role model or mentor of the same gender, compared to over 50% of men.
   

Centre for Cyber Security Innovation and Research (CCSRI) Director Matt Warren said the wider spectrum of educational backgrounds and motivations brought by females were valuable for diverse approaches to problem-solving; however, the low level of women’s participation means the sector is still not operating at its full potential.

“Despite the rapid expansion of the cybersecurity workforce, the sector is characterised by a stark underrepresentation of women,” Warren said.

“To achieve gender equity in the industry, we need to understand the factors that deter women from joining or cause them to leave the sector and commit to fostering a workforce culture that embraces diversity as a strength.”

The report also lays out key recommendations for government, organisations and their leaders, education institutions and the wider community, focused on improving gender equity and inclusion in the Australian cybersecurity sector.

O’Neil said the report provides real insights into the lack of female role models and other barriers to women’s representation in our cybersecurity sector, based on research that has been sadly lacking in Australia until now.

“Its recommendations can help put us on the path to achieving gender equity in the sector — without which, we won’t be able to achieve our true cybersecurity potential,” O’Neil said.

AWSN founder and Executive Director Jacqui Loustau said to accelerate the number of women entering, excelling and leading in the industry, we need to understand the current barriers and draw on learnings from other industries and countries.

“Although there has been progress in the number of women entering security over the years, it’s not fast enough,” Loustau said.

“To protect all Australians, the security workforce needs all types of people thinking innovatively, stopping threats and advocating for security.

“This report will lead the way in what we can do more effectively to attract and retain a more diverse workforce for generations to come.”

The study was undertaken by RMIT’s CCSRI in partnership with the AWSN with the objective to obtain a set of benchmark data on where Australia stands in terms of women working in security, which can be referenced and tracked across the industry as it grows.

The AWSN’s involvement in the study has been facilitated through sponsorship support by the Australian Signals Directorate, Australia’s foreign signals intelligence and security agency.

For the full report, visit the Centre for Cyber Security Innovation and Research webpage.

Image credit: iStock.com/guvendemir