About seven in ten (72%) of women in cyber describe the industry as a welcoming career path for women in their country or region, ISC2 found, a major endorsement for the sector which faces a staggering gender gap.

ISC2 based this research on a survey of over 2,600 women in the cyber industry, examining their perceptions on the sector.

The report found that women reported better job satisfaction (71%) this year than last year (67%).

However, women were more likely than men to report that their organisations experienced security layoffs in the past 12 months (28% vs 23%).

Inequalities in the industry persisted: A third (34%) of women said pay or promotion inequity had prevented them from moving forward, compared to 19% of men.

Further, nearly half of women (45%) identified work-life balance or caregiving demands as the top challenge to staying and advancing in cybersecurity, compared to 29% of men

Two in five men participants (42%) said they were unaware of any challenges or had not observed any significant barriers for women, a figure 2.5 times higher than what was reported by women participants (17%).

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Women were more likely than men to say they have considered switching careers due to current market conditions (33% versus 27%).

Further, women were also more likely than men to say they have considered switching careers due to current market conditions (33% versus 27%).