While UK critical national infrastructure (CNI) bodies are facing a dearth of diverse cyber security talent, a disproportionate amount of CNI-cyber women are afraid their jobs may be on the line when compared with men. That’s according to new research by a cyber security services firm.
Bridewell found that 63pc of female security leaders across the UK’s CNI have feared losing their job due to a cyber attack within the past month alone, compared to only 38pc of their male counterparts. About a third (32pc) of women say they are likely to leave their cyber security role in the next 12 months due to experiencing stress and burnout which is impacting their personal life, amidst increasing cyber threats against critical infrastructure.
Grace Perry is Client Lead and Content Lead of the Bridewell Women’s Network. She said: “Whilst we have seen an increase in the number of women in CNI security roles in recent years, they are still underrepresented in the industry. Efforts are being made to increase the support these women receive, however there remains scope for improvement. CNI organisations must recognise how their working patterns, performance benchmarks and career development paths may bias towards men, leaving female professionals without the necessary support to thrive in their roles.”
The firm says that the trend threatens to worsen the cyber security skills gap within CNI, which has widened. Over a third (36pc) of the CNI bodies surveyed by Bridewell, spanning transport and aviation, finance, utilities, government, and communications sectors, now admit they do not have the right skills in place to secure their IT infrastructure, compared to only 22pc in 2022. About four in ten (42pc) of companies also lack skills to safeguard their operational technology (OT), heightening cyber risk to critical physical processes like power plants, water treatment, and transportation systems.
These findings have coincided with the release of a UK Government report showing that only 17pc of the UK cyber workforce are female – a lower proportion than for all other digital sectors and a slight decrease on last year’s figures. Women also remain if anything even more under-represented in senior cyber roles, occupying 14pc of these positions.
Meanwhile CNI organisations proactively seek diverse cyber talent with transferable skillsets. Bridewell found that 40pc are encouraging informal networking among minority groups and introducing flexible working schemes, aiming to nurture cyber diversity through stronger connections and improved work-life balance opportunities. Over a third (38pc) also combat gender bias by ensuring all job descriptions are written in neutral language.
Emma Leith, Director of Consulting at Bridewell, adds: “Failing to fix the cyber security diversity problem will further widen the skills gap, escalating the risk to UK critical infrastructure. CNI organisations must now take bold action to bridge the gap and embrace more diverse experiences and perspectives. This calls for a resolute, long-lasting commitment to breaking down traditional barriers and promoting organic culture change, driven by passionate individuals from the top down. Diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I) must be at the core of their cyber strategies, with a focus on recruiting and retaining women and other underrepresented groups.”
