In an increasingly digital world where data breaches, ransomware attacks, and other cybercrimes are pervasive, a skilled cybersecurity workforce is more important than ever. Yet the industry grapples with a significant worker shortage.
Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that there are an estimated 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally, including nearly 500,000 vacancies in the U.S. At the same time, a large talent pool is being underutilized: female professionals. Women represent only 25-30 percent of the cybersecurity workforce, according to a report in Cybercrime Magazine.
Virginia colleges offer some of the nation’s top cybersecurity programs, with 23 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth earning the National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation.
A computer science degree isn’t always necessary to succeed. Outside traditional academic settings, girls and women in Virginia are discovering what’s possible in cybersecurity and gaining valuable skills through certification courses, coding boot camps, cyber sports competitions, technology workshops, mentorship programs, and more.