Majority of women in Mideast keen on pursuing cybersecurity degree: Study

RIYADH: More than 90 percent of female undergraduates in STEM courses in the Middle East would consider pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, according to a worldwide study focusing on the gender divide in the industry.

Women currently make up only 25 percent of the global cybersecurity workforce, while more than half of organizations report unfulfilled positions within the industry, according to the survey, a collaboration between the Boston Consulting Group and Global Cybersecurity Forum.

The report, titled “Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity is a Win-Win,” focused on key actions to counter the industry’s growing gender gap.

The study targeted female undergraduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses across six regions and 26 countries. It aims to provide insights into the challenges facing women entering STEM studies, as well as their long-term career prospects in cybersecurity.

A total of 70 percent of those surveyed said that a key driver in choosing a degree in cybersecurity was a role model encouraging them to enter the field and learn more about the industry.

Alaa Al-Faadhel, initiatives and partnerships lead at GCF, said that the report shows  women are prepared to fill the talent gap in the cybersecurity workforce. 

“With the right encouragement from a young age, women can not only begin to enter the industry, but also become leaders in their field. By bringing together the leading voices and minds of the cyberspace at the GCF, we are confident that we can bridge this gap.”

A total of 94 percent of respondents from the Middle East expressed an interest in pursuing a cybersecurity degree — the highest percentage across all six regions globally.

The region also leads in cybersecurity awareness, with 88 percent of women sharing they are aware of cybersecurity programs offered in their institution.

European respondents also presented strong results, with 89 percent of those surveyed expressing an interest in pursuing a cybersecurity degree and 82 percent already active in cybersecurity courses.

However, European respondents ranked the highest globally in terms of perception of STEM, with an overwhelming 77 percent believing the industry is male-dominated and 48 percent perceiving the industry as a difficult field for women to achieve work-life balance.

Only 35 percent of those surveyed in the Asia-Pacific felt the industry was male dominated, a stark difference compared with markets such as Europe. A total of 41 percent of Asia-Pacific respondents said that woman who work in the field are perceived positively.

Respondents from North America, a hub for many leading cybersecurity firms, rated surprisingly low with regards to prospects in the industry. Only 45 percent of North American women were aware of cybersecurity programs at their institution and only 61 percent expressed a desire to pursue a degree in cybersecurity.

Latin America showed the most drastic differences. Although ranking highest in terms of having some knowledge of cybersecurity at 70 percent, only 9 percent were able to say they had pursued any further study.