According to a recent survey by ISC2, one out of ten cyber security professionals were women, down from 11 percent years ago, shocking many in the field.
The gender gap widened what is already a male-dominated field even with a drastic workforce shortage leaving 62 percent of survey respondents saying their organizations does not have enough security professionals, according to Reuters.
ISC2, the company that conducted the survey and the largest organization that certifies cyber professionals, said that of nearly 14,000 information security professionals in developed countries only 10 percent were women.
Included with the uneven employment stats the survey also found pay inequalities with 47 percent of men reported annual salaries of at least $120,000, compared to 41 percent of women.
All these factors add up to be quite the deterrent for any woman wanting to enter into the tech field for employment and has resulted in a steady or declining rate of women in the field. Currently women account for about one third of workers at tech firms.
The study supports a broader debate about the lack of women in the technology industry as well as the treatment of women currently employed at tech companies.
In 2014 Gamergate became a powder keg for the women’s movement in the tech industry and was started when women in executive roles were targeted in threats and online harassment.
Earlier this month Katie Moussouris, a former Microsoft Corp security manager, filed a gender bias lawsuit against her former company which resulted in dismissal as Microsoft said it reviewed her claims and could not substantiate them.