Opportunities for women in IT security

Much prior research has examined the dearth of women in the IT industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the questions surrounding women in IT within the context of Information Security and Assurance. This research-in-progress report describes results from one phase in a study of a relatively new career path to see if there are female-friendly opportunities that have not existed in previous IT career paths. Research methodology focuses on a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with women who are self-described IT security professionals. The next phase will focus on interviews with men in the IT security field as a basis for comparison. A primary goal of the study is to determine whether or not women in security face the same challenges and opportunities as they do in other IT fields. Further, does the security area offer equivalent opportunities for women and men? Finally, implications are explored, including those for IT educators in terms of recruiting and retaining diverse groups of students to pursue security related careers.