Search articles
Mentorship 'could encourage women into cyber security careers'
Nurturing future talent could be the way to get more women interested in cyber security careers.
Mentorship could be a great way to encourage more women to pursue careers in cyber security, according to one expert.
Speaking in an interview with Security Brief Europe magazine, Microsoft's Ann Johnson said businesses are likely to be missing out on a range of innovative ideas by failing to include more women on their teams.
She suggested that by starting young and mentoring female students whose careers are still "far in the future", they may be less intimidated and more likely to consider cyber security as a job.
This could be achieved by implementing training schemes, leveraging the power of social media to put experts in touch with young women, and ensuring networking among those who have the experience necessary to go far in cyber security.
"More women and diverse talent should be hired in security, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because gaining the advantage in fighting cyber crime depends on it," Ms Johnson concluded.
According to research by PwC on more than 2,000 A-Level and university students, only 16 per cent of females have had a career in technology suggested to them, compared to 33 per cent of males.