Cybersecurity has always been seen as a battlefield of technical defences—firewalls, encryption, AI-driven threat detection. But what if the real strength in cybersecurity isn’t just in the technology, but in the people behind it? And what if some of the most impactful contributions are coming from a group that’s still widely underestimated?
Women in cybersecurity are doing things you wouldn’t expect. They’re not just working in the field—they’re reshaping it in ways that often go unnoticed. While the conversation often focuses on bringing more women into tech, the bigger story is how women already in cyber are driving change in areas we don’t talk about enough.
Cybersecurity’s Overlooked Advantage
We often hear that human error is the biggest security vulnerability. But human factors—the way people think, react, and recover—are also cybersecurity’s greatest untapped strength. The ability to prevent an attack is important, but the ability to recover from one is critical.
This is where women are making an impact in ways that go beyond traditional technical roles. The industry tends to spotlight coders and engineers, but cyber resilience—the ability to respond, adapt, and rebuild—relies just as much on behavioural security, crisis management, and strategic risk assessment.
Women’s Role in Cyber Resilience
Women bring a skill set that is essential in today’s cybersecurity landscape:
🛡 Crisis Management – Cyberattacks aren’t just technical failures; they’re business crises.
👁 Behavioural Security – Human error is the #1 cause of breaches, yet training often overlooks real behavioural insights.
🔄 Resilience Building – Recovering from an attack isn’t just about fixing systems; it’s about restoring trust and stability.
And yet, despite their impact, the numbers remain low:
- Women hold only 17% of cybersecurity jobs in the UK.
- Just 10% of cybersecurity startup founders are women.
- In the West Midlands, only 7.5% of women-owned businesses receive funding.
Still, studies show that startups with at least one female founder outperform all-male-founded teams by 63% and generate more revenue per dollar invested. The data is clear—women bring value to cybersecurity in ways that are still underestimated.
A Different Way to Think About Cybersecurity
The industry is evolving. Cyber resilience is now a business priority, not just a technical concern. Organizations are beginning to recognize that protecting against cyber threats means understanding how people react under pressure, how teams recover after an attack, and how security is embedded into human behavior.
Women in cybersecurity are already leading this shift—not just filling roles, but shaping the way we think about security itself.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s time to look beyond the usual conversations about inclusion and recognize the impact women are already making. Because the future of cybersecurity isn’t just about preventing attacks—it’s about how we respond, adapt, and lead in the face of them.
Would love to hear your thoughts—how do you see women shaping the future of cybersecurity? 🚀