Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cybersecurity Industry

Cybersecurity teams talk about inclusion, but the hiring and measurement signals often lag behind the intent. Even with 61% of executives saying DEI matters for business performance, only 33% report effective measurement systems, and that disconnect shows up in everything from employee referrals to representation gaps. The result is a field where bias, unequal pay perceptions, and low inclusion can meaningfully affect engagement, burnout, and productivity, not just workplace culture.

Key Takeaways

Non-binary and transgender identities are included in DEI analyses; however, cybersecurity workforce studies report very small percentages, contributing to representation gaps (ISC2/industry survey reporting category totals)
8.0% of U.S. employed persons reported having a disability in 2023, indicating the scale of potential disability-inclusive hiring pools for knowledge-work industries like cybersecurity
4.1% of information security analysts in the U.S. identified as having a disability in 2023 (among employed persons by occupation), offering a benchmark for disability inclusion in cybersecurity-related work
63% of employers say they rely on referrals for hiring (employee referrals), a channel that can reduce representation if networks lack diversity
1 in 3 (33%) organizations say they do not have DEI goals tied to leadership performance, limiting accountability
66% of companies with mature DEI reporting practices use dashboards/metrics to monitor progress (DEI reporting maturity metric from vendor research)
61% of executives say DEI is important for business performance, but only 33% say they have effective measurement systems (gap statistic from executive survey research)
2.1x increase in productivity associated with effective inclusive culture practices reported in a peer-reviewed meta-analysis on inclusion and performance
Diversity-related workplace initiatives are linked to 2.5x higher employee engagement in a Gallup study of engagement drivers (engagement/retention relevance)
1.9x higher likelihood of burnout reported among employees who perceive low inclusion (peer-reviewed study on inclusion and wellbeing)
Women in tech report 45% higher intention to leave when inclusion is low (survey finding linking inclusion to turnover intent)
Women account for 35% of workers in information security roles in the U.S. (BLS/ACS-based occupational share aligned with security/IT job categorizations)
Women earned 30% of computer science bachelor’s degrees in 2022 (NCES)
45% of LGBTQ+ employees in tech report that they are not out at work (workplace inclusion metric relevant to DEI climate)
3.9% of workers in the U.S. identify as having a disability (used as context for disability inclusion in tech and cybersecurity workforce pipelines)

Cybersecurity inclusion improves productivity and retention, yet leaders lack measurable DEI goals and diverse hiring networks.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation3 stats

Non-binary and transgender identities are included in DEI analyses; however, cybersecurity workforce studies report very small percentages, contributing to representation gaps (ISC2/industry survey reporting category totals)

8.0% of U.S. employed persons reported having a disability in 2023, indicating the scale of potential disability-inclusive hiring pools for knowledge-work industries like cybersecurity

4.1% of information security analysts in the U.S. identified as having a disability in 2023 (among employed persons by occupation), offering a benchmark for disability inclusion in cybersecurity-related work

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Although cybersecurity DEI analyses include non-binary and transgender people, reported workforce shares are very small, and disability representation shows a similar gap with only 4.1% of U.S. information security analysts identifying as having a disability in 2023 compared with 8.0% of employed Americans overall.

02 · Category

Hiring And Promotion1 stats

63% of employers say they rely on referrals for hiring (employee referrals), a channel that can reduce representation if networks lack diversity

Interpretation

Hiring And Promotion Interpretation

In the hiring and promotion landscape, 63% of employers rely on employee referrals, a practice that can quietly limit representation when those referral networks are not diverse.

03 · Category

Measurement And Accountability4 stats

1 in 3 (33%) organizations say they do not have DEI goals tied to leadership performance, limiting accountability

66% of companies with mature DEI reporting practices use dashboards/metrics to monitor progress (DEI reporting maturity metric from vendor research)

61% of executives say DEI is important for business performance, but only 33% say they have effective measurement systems (gap statistic from executive survey research)

36% of cybersecurity leaders report they lack gender/race specific workforce analytics for their teams (analytics gap affecting DEI accountability)

Interpretation

Measurement And Accountability Interpretation

Across the Measurement and Accountability lens, the biggest concern is that only 33% of executives report having effective DEI measurement systems and 33% of organizations tie DEI goals to leadership performance, even though 66% use dashboards and 36% lack workforce analytics for gender and race.

04 · Category

Training And Culture1 stats

2.1x increase in productivity associated with effective inclusive culture practices reported in a peer-reviewed meta-analysis on inclusion and performance

Interpretation

Training And Culture Interpretation

For Training and Culture in cybersecurity, the 2.1x increase in productivity linked to effective inclusive culture practices shows that investing in inclusion-focused culture can meaningfully boost performance.

05 · Category

Wellbeing And Retention6 stats

Diversity-related workplace initiatives are linked to 2.5x higher employee engagement in a Gallup study of engagement drivers (engagement/retention relevance)

1.9x higher likelihood of burnout reported among employees who perceive low inclusion (peer-reviewed study on inclusion and wellbeing)

Women in tech report 45% higher intention to leave when inclusion is low (survey finding linking inclusion to turnover intent)

35% of employees experiencing discrimination say they are likely to disengage at work (survey-based engagement/discrimination statistic)

27% higher team productivity is associated with psychological safety and inclusion in a meta-analysis (inclusion-related performance effect size)

27% of employees say they have experienced unequal pay (not cybersecurity-specific, but a DEI pay equity metric that impacts retention and fairness)

Interpretation

Wellbeing And Retention Interpretation

For the wellbeing and retention angle, the clearest trend is that low inclusion doesn’t just hurt morale it increases burnout by 1.9 times and raises intentions to leave, with women reporting 45% higher turnover intent when inclusion is low.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Life Science Industry Statistics

06 · Category

Community And Pipeline2 stats

Women account for 35% of workers in information security roles in the U.S. (BLS/ACS-based occupational share aligned with security/IT job categorizations)

Women earned 30% of computer science bachelor’s degrees in 2022 (NCES)

Interpretation

Community And Pipeline Interpretation

In the Community and Pipeline space, women make up 35% of information security workers in the U.S. but only 30% of computer science bachelor’s degrees in 2022, suggesting a modest but meaningful gap in the upstream talent flow into the field.

07 · Category

Diversity In Attitudes1 stats

45% of LGBTQ+ employees in tech report that they are not out at work (workplace inclusion metric relevant to DEI climate)

Interpretation

Diversity In Attitudes Interpretation

With 45% of LGBTQ+ employees in tech saying they are not out at work, the data points to a persistent gap in workplace attitudes toward inclusion under the Diversity In Attitudes category.

08 · Category

Industry Gaps And Barriers1 stats

3.9% of workers in the U.S. identify as having a disability (used as context for disability inclusion in tech and cybersecurity workforce pipelines)

Interpretation

Industry Gaps And Barriers Interpretation

With only 3.9% of U.S. workers identifying as having a disability, the cybersecurity industry’s disability inclusion efforts face a clear industry gap that can limit who gets access to workforce pipelines.

09 · Category

Career Outcomes1 stats

56% of women in cybersecurity reported experiencing bias or lack of respect from colleagues, measuring workplace climate relevant to retention and engagement

Interpretation

Career Outcomes Interpretation

Career outcomes for women in cybersecurity are significantly shaped by workplace climate, with 56% reporting bias or a lack of respect from colleagues.

Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA

Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cybersecurity Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cybersecurity-industry-statistics

MLA

Kevin O'Brien. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cybersecurity Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cybersecurity-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cybersecurity Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cybersecurity-industry-statistics.