Why it's important that women help plug the cyber skills gap

Description

There will be 1.8m unfilled information security jobs by 2022, according to the Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS). Yet the hurdle isn’t simply to fill vacancies, it’s to build a talented and diverse workforce.

The cyber skills shortage needs to be tackled on several fronts. Firstly, there is a need to develop a more diverse workforce - for example, by encouraging more women into what’s still a male-dominated field.

Not only does this expand the size of the talent pool, it also brings fresh ideas and new approaches, believes Clare Johnson, head of cyber security at the University of South Wales (USW).