Woburn, MA – March 8, 2018 – In recent years, more and more women have climbed the corporate ladder to occupy important positions in the business world, serving as role models for young girls. However, a recent report from Kaspersky Lab examined why cybersecurity is still a field that remains largely untapped by women, with females accounting for only 11 percent of the industry’s total workforce[1].

Women in cybersecurity often face the harsh reality of being the only female in a room full of men, which Kaspersky Lab found to be one of the main reasons many women decide not to pursue a career in the field. The lack of women in the industry can generate a snowball effect, where those considering a career in the field may be deterred by seeing few women in IT leadership roles. Kaspersky Lab found that 42 percent of those surveyed agree that it is important to have a role model of the same gender in their career of interest, and half of the women surveyed prefer to work in an environment that has an equal male/female split.

Kaspersky Lab’s study also found that in general, many women are unaware of the skills employers seek in IT security roles. When asked why they haven’t decided to pursue a cybersecurity career, 57 percent of women claimed that it was due to a lack of coding experience, compared with 43 percent of men. Women were also more likely to state that they have no interest in computing (52% vs. 39%), they are not aware of cybersecurity (45% vs. 38%), or that their math is not good enough (38% vs. 25%). However, today’s companies are not only looking for coders. Non-technical skills such as critical thinking and problem solving are just as crucial to a career in cybersecurity.

“As a young girl I was always fascinated by puzzles and board games, which developed into a love of programming and eventually, a career as a security researcher,” said Noushin Shabab, senior security analyst at Kaspersky Lab. “Working with other experts on Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), I investigate sophisticated cyberattacks and uncover APTs, cyber-espionage campaigns, major malware, ransomware and other threats. My job requires not only technical skills, but also persistency, creativity and collaboration to think differently and keep up with the malicious attackers.”

Stereotypes associated with cybersecurity can also be a deterrent for women, the study found. Terminology that is associated with the industry, such as ‘hacker,’ is often considered to have negative connotations. Additionally, a third of women think cybersecurity professionals are ‘geeks’ and a quarter think they are ‘nerds,’ perhaps contributing to the reason why one-in-six women think that a career in cybersecurity would be dull. On this, Shabab notes, “The image of the cybersecurity professional is changing, and with WannaCry, more than half of the young women (58%) came across the industry on TV, radio and online news – according to other studies we have done. It’s a matter of converting this interest into something else.”

In addition to working with various organizations to understand the obstacles preventing more women from pursuing careers in cybersecurity, Kaspersky Lab has several initiatives, such as Kaspersky Lab Academy, the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Certification Program and Kaspersky Cyber Days to promote industry awareness and occupations, as well as to enhance the education of professionals in the area.

For Shabab, as more women start to discover IT security, the quicker it will become a popular career choice. “I am one of the lucky ones who discovered this buzz on my own and now I want to encourage more women to follow my lead,” she said. “While some people might send and receive 100 emails a day, I can save thousands of people from the latest online scam in an hour. What’s more, the very fact that cyber attackers don’t work normal office hours means that my role is inherently flexible. To that end, you might find me working in a lab, a data center, from an office, from home or even from my favorite café. My job shapes my lifestyle, and the always-on nature of cybersecurity means I’m constantly thinking of new ways to protect people or businesses from malicious malware – and I love it.”

In addition to working to close the gender gap in cybersecurity, Kaspersky Lab has been the proud sponsor of several expeditions spearheaded by renowned female adventurers. Most recently, the company announced its sponsorship of the first ever all-female EuroArabian North Pole expedition, which will depart in April from the Arabian Peninsula and arrive 10-days later at the geographic North Pole.

“As a company, full of bright female minds who have challenged the status quo to become coders, programmers and cybersecurity researchers, we want to encourage and empower more young women to be brave and do the unexpected – whether that’s reaching the North Pole, or learning to code and becoming a cyber-defender,” said Alex Moiseev, Chief Business Officer for Kaspersky Lab.