Gender equality in IT security.             
Is it really that bad?

Gender equality in IT security. Is it really that bad?

Talking about gender equality as a man is always a complicated task, because people may think that I do it from an advantageous position, or I could have the risk of sounding sexist. However, I have been thinking about this 'gender inequality' in the world of cybersecurity for a long time.

To put you a little in context, I come from a Latino family, where women have always been the main column of our family structure. In my family, there are women who are lawyers, dentists, cardiologists, chemical engineers, etc., but even those who have been housewives (like my grandmother) have done so from a strong leadership position. I also work in a company where women have important managerial roles, in all areas within a global cybersecurity company, both in sales, marketing, research, development, etc. This is a company of powerful and intelligent women, in every way.

Is there really a gender inequality in this world of cybersecurity, or are there simply fewer women interested in working in an industry like this?

Is there really a gender inequality in this world of cybersecurity, or are there simply fewer women interested in working in an industry like this?

I don't have daughters, but I have nieces, my friends have daughters, and I have never, ever heard any of them say: "when I grow up I want to work in cybersecurity". They all want to be pediatricians, lawyers, veterinarians, dentists.

It won´t be that we are failing as a society and as an industry in transmitting to the next generation what our role really is in a digitally insecure world like this? Do we need to explain better that they as IT security experts could fight cybercriminals that harm people and the world so much?

In my personal opinion, I do not believe that there is gender inequality in this industry. I believe that the more women are interested in cybersecurity, the gap will be smaller and smaller. Our responsibility - and probable mine as a man- is to convince the younger generations that this is a fun world and that it will also fill them with much satisfaction knowing that they are going to help the world defend itself against the bad, the cybercriminals.

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