The STEM fields have long been dominated by males, from entry-level to CEO. This is beginning to change as more young girls and women are taking an interest in and pursuing careers in this field. But many of them are met with similar prejudice to that faced by many other women entering male-dominated fields. Companies that follow this trend will continue to see the growing talent gaps that exist in today’s IT landscape. According to TechBeacon, an estimated one million security jobs worldwide are unfilled. It is time to open our eyes to the possibilities and talent that is brought by opening the door to women in the cybersecurity field.
The Problem
The cybersecurity field is facing a massive talent gap, with companies unable to fill critical roles. This comes at a time when hackers are not only targeting large corporations but also small companies in all fields. This talent shortage leaves the industry empty-handed and desperate. With women only comprising 11 percent of the workforce, according to TechBeacon, there is potentially a large pool of talent that is untapped.
The Solution
According to InfoSecurity Magazine, research has shown that women tend to score higher when it comes to intuition and emotional and social intelligence. In short, they are able to keep their cool when there is trouble, which is necessary when handling a breach that can be devastating to a company. With a calm head, they are able to use their intuition to make quick and sound decisions that will get the company on the right track. This is not to say that men do not possess these skills, but women tend to score more highly. In the end, men and women have different strengths, and when you put them together, they work well to get problems solved quickly.
It’s time to put aside any prejudice there may be towards women and embrace with welcoming arms their entrance into a field that needs their calm demeanor and expertise to fight the cyber war.
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