When it comes to cybersecurity – specifically careers in cybersecurity –  there are a few things (most) people know. There’s a skills gap, with 3.12 million unfilled positions. There’s also a gender gap, with a workforce that’s almost twice as likely to be male. 

But, we have good news. We surveyed 200 women working in cybersecurity and 1,000 recent grads (18-25 years old) for our latest research report, Opportunity in Cybersecurity Report 2021,  and the skills and gender gap seem to both be closing, and women working in the field are happier than ever, despite a tumultuous year.  

Here’s five cybersecurity stats you didn’t know (but should).

P.s. There are even more stats in the full report, and plenty of first-hand insights from women currently working in the field and recent grads considering a career in cybersecurity.

1. 94% of cybersecurity teams hired in 2020

As we all know, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on unemployment rates. But, as the global job market has contracted, cybersecurity appears to have expanded.

According to our research, a whopping 94% of cybersecurity teams hired in 2020. Better still, this hiring trend isn’t isolated; it’s consistent across industries, from Healthcare to Finance.

Want to know which industries were the most likely to hire in 2020? Download the full report.

2. Nearly half of women say COVID-19 POSITIVELY affected their career

This is one figure that we’re especially proud to report: 49% of women say COVID-19 positively affected their career in cybersecurity. In the midst of a global recession, this is truly incredible.

Is it increased investment in IT that’s driving this contentment? The flexibility of working from home? An overwhelming sense of job security?

We asked female cybersecurity professionals, and they answered. See what they had to say. 

3. 76% of 18-25 year olds say cybersecurity is “interesting”

Last year, we asked women working cybersecurity why others might not consider a job in the field. 42% said it’s because the industry isn’t considered “cool” or “exciting”.

We went directly to the source and asked recent grads (18-25 years old) and our data tells a different story. 76% said of them said that cybersecurity is interesting. 

This is encouraging, especially since…

4. ⅓ of recent grads would consider a job in cybersecurity

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While we don’t have any data to compare and contrast this number to, we feel confident saying that interest in the field is growing. Perhaps fueled by the fact that it is – actually – interesting?

31% of recent grads say they would consider a job in cybersecurity. But men are almost twice as likely as women to float the idea.  

Want to know why? We pulled together dozens of open-ended responses from  our survey respondents. Click here to see what they said. 

5. There’s $43.1 billion up for grabs…

Today, the total value of the cybersecurity industry in the US is $107.7 billion.

But, if the gender gap were closed, and the number of women working in the field equaled the number of men, the total value would jump to $138.1 billion. And, if women and men earned equal salaries, it’d increase even more. 

The total (potential) value of the industry? $150.8 billion.