Security Women Are Changing the Narrative

There was a time when the number of women working professionally in the Security Industry was zero. Today, the estimate hovers somewhere around 10 to 11 percent, according to Forbes. Considering that women occupy approximately 50 percent of professional jobs in most other fields, further growth in the Security Guard Industry can certainly be predicted, if not guaranteed.

Curiously, North America lags behind other countries in employing security women in the security guard industry. India’s example in particular can teach us how adding more female professionals to the security workforce brings in new, valuable skills the whole industry can benefit from.

In this post, learn more about new developments and opportunities for women in the security industry today.

Women Are In Demand in Cybersecurity

Interestingly, the fast-growing field of cybersecurity may be the first to close the gender gap within the security industry. The field is facing a tremendous projected shortfall in qualified labor, with up to 1.8 million jobs going unfilled by 2019, as reported by the Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS).

Add to that an ongoing push within the field to diversify, and women who enter the field may find themselves welcomed with open arms.

Women often have more diverse and simply more education than men as well as different thought processes and perspectives that add depth and perspective when addressing complex cybersecurity issues.

For example, there was a recent report on a competition between three hacking teams. The winning team had four women and two men. The 2nd place team had two women and four men. The team that came last was comprised of all men.

Women Mentoring Women in Security

ASIS International is a global members-based education and networking organization serving the Security Guard and Security Employment Communities. One of the most wonderful services ASIS Intl. provides is the Women in Security Council.

The Council provides mentoring, networking and special programming to provide security women working in various facets of the security industry with support and advancement opportunities.

The Military Paves the Way for Women in the Security Industry

In 1978, the first female Navy and Marine personnel were granted access to non-combat positions aboard military vessels. In 2017, just a few short decades later, the Marines proudly announced that 2nd Lt. Lillian Polatchek had just become the corps’ first female tank officer.

As CNBC points out, the military provides special training opportunities and opportunities for hands-on skills practice that can prepare female candidates in innovative ways for a future career in the cybersecurity field. In particular, female veterans learn the value of discipline, teamwork, leadership, a self-starter work ethic and proactive defense in a mixed gender setting, all of which are assets the cybersecurity industry desperately needs.

As a Security Industry Employer, making any significant workforce changes sometimes creates temporary chaos in the interests of achieving lasting stability and growth.