In the United States, Women’s History Month is celebrated throughout March; across the world, women are recognized during International Women’s Day on Mar. 8. 

As the month progresses, I’ve been reflecting on the state of the industry for women. How has it evolved? What headway has been made, and where is improvement still needed?

Kasia Hanson, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Alcatraz, remarks on the improvement in the industry, saying, “The industry is improving for women driven by their increasing contribution of knowledge and business expertise. This progress is evident in the growing number of women involved in industry committees, published papers and media coverage. Thriving women’s groups and dedicated events, such as Security LeadHER and the SIA’s Power 100 recognition, continue to uplift and support this growth.”

Anmol Agarwal, Senior Security Researcher at Nokia, reiterates the increased involvement of women in the industry. “I’ve noticed that there are many more women-focused tech groups and meetups. More women are being encouraged to pursue security careers, and generally I’ve also seen in classes that there are more women pursuing cybersecurity studies. I think the community initiatives have helped with that because now more women have role models to look up to.”

While forward progress has occurred, the path hasn’t always been linear. Hanson points out that the journey for women to reach the C-Suite is still a difficult one. Victoria Dimmick, CEO of Titania, concurs. 

“Women are increasingly holding senior positions in cybersecurity, but they are still under-represented at C-Suite level,” Dimmick comments. “More women are reaching leadership levels than in the past, but progress is slower than general workforce growth.”

Prejudice Against Women in the Security and Cybersecurity Workforce

“In cybersecurity, bias still appears in ways people may not intend,” says Diana Kelley, CISO at Noma Security. “Assumptions about technical credibility, questions about dedication, or overlooking someone for critical opportunities can quietly shape careers.”

Technical aptitude is not the only area in which women face prejudice. RitaBeth Crague, Protective Intelligence and Travel Risk Manager at Lumen Technologies, reflects on her experience in executive protection and how women can be met with doubt.

“One dynamic I’ve observed in parts of the Executive Protection (EP) field is the perception that effectiveness is primarily about size or physical presence. At times that can lead to skepticism about where women fit within EP programs.” Crague explains, “My experience has been that the most effective protection work relies on a broader set of skills — situational awareness, planning, communication, and de-escalation — alongside physical deterrence. Moments like that have reinforced my belief that the field is strongest when we recognize the full range of capabilities that contribute to good security work.” 

Recognizing Industry Bias and Enacting Meaningful Change

Furthermore, bias still exists within the industry as a whole, which can make it harder for women to reach the same professional heights as their male counterparts. 

“I have experienced instances of being dismissed due to being a woman in the industry,” Hanson says. “For example, while sponsoring an event, the coordinator repeatedly sought male speakers and dismissed my offer to speak. The resulting speaker lineup was 95% male.” 

According to Julia Vincke, Vice President of Security (CSO) at BASF, change needs to go beyond surface-level actions and reach the roots of the industry. 

“What I’d like to see is structural change, not symbolic gestures,” says Vincke. “That means reforming leadership cultures that still reward a very specific, often male-coded style of authority. It means creating genuine sponsorship, not just mentoring, but senior figures actively opening doors. And it means resisting the current backlash.”

Some regard diversity in security as unnecessary while others view it as an outright risk, suggesting that DEI efforts take attention away from security initiatives in hiring practices. 

“The systematic dismantling of past initiatives is not a correction, but a regression,” asserts Vincke. "Hard-won progress is being rolled back, while the structural barriers that made those initiatives necessary in the first place remain firmly in place.”

The Value of Diverse Teams

Rather than create a security risk, however, diverse teams can offer a well-rounded perspective to threats and defensive initiatives. Without a range of backgrounds and perspectives, security teams could miss out on valuable insights. 

“In the security sector specifically, we cannot afford to treat diversity as optional. The threats we face are complex, asymmetric, and global and they require the full range of talent and perspective available to us,” Vincke states.

Women in Security: What’s Next? 

Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day may be a time to remember how far the industry has come for women — and how much farther it still must go — but it shouldn’t be the only time it’s discussed. 

“What matters now is continuing to remove structural barriers,” Kelley declares. “Creating processes that consistently surface and support diverse talent, ensuring mentorship and sponsorship programs are real and resourced, and building cultures where people are evaluated by their contributions, impact, and potential, not by outdated stereotypes.”