Unequal Culture of Women and Minorities in Cybersecurity Domain

Abstract

Women and ethnic minorities have historically been underrepresented in the cybersecurity industry. Although there are an increasing number of open opportunities in the cybersecurity industry, this pattern has not changed. There is still an imbalance in the participation of women and ethnic minorities in the cybersecurity domain. Issues that impact both Africa and the global participation of women and ethnic minorities in cyber-security include inadequate representation and awareness as well as retention problems. Further, issues such as harassment, gender bias and the idea that cybersecurity is a “man’s world” are also contributing factors. This paper provides a framework for discussing some of the skills that are available to women and underrepresented groups and argues for the necessity to solve this problem. Programs striving to increase the participation of women and ethnic minorities in cybersecurity are discussed. Lastly, some suggestions to remediate this pervasive issue are also provided.