Addressing the Cybersecurity Diversity Gap
Join us on May 18th and/or 19th for Day of Shecurity
- May 18th – Virtual Event
- May 19th – In-Person Event in Redwood City, CA
MISSION
Secure Diversity exists to increase diversity in cybersecurity. The lack of diversity and inclusive environments for individuals who have been historically excluded due to various identities is still an issue. Initially, Secure Diversity is focused on gender diversity at all levels of cybersecurity, as in 2022, women still make up less than 24 percent of cybersecurity roles. The percentage decreases as one moves up the leadership ladder (data on non-binary individuals is very limited).
Secure Diversity aims to solve the three largest obstacles that people, particularly historically excluded genders, face when seeking to get into and level up in the cybersecurity industry:
- Lack of knowledge about the cybersecurity jobs
- Financial barriers to training and education
- Launched October 2022 – SANS Leadership Academy to INCREASE GENDER DIVERSITY in Cybersecurity Leadership
- Lack of new to cybersecurity roles
Gender Diversity Data
- The number of women professionals in formal cybersecurity roles decreased from 2019 (30%) and 2020 (25%) to 20% in 20211
- Data with the pandemic’s impact?2
- Women in the tech industry were twice as likely to be furloughed or laid off than their male counterparts
- A total of 2.5 million women left the workforce in the US
- 43% of women report remote work as being a positive experience, while 42% of women have negative views
- 54% of women say that the pandemic is making it harder for them to break into the tech industry