AISA calls for diversity in cybersecurity workforce
AISA calls for diversity in cybersecurity workforce
https://asiapacificdefencereporter.com/aisa-calls-for-diversity-in-cybersecurity-workforce/
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 18:12:00
Source Domain: asiapacificdefencereporter.com
Australia’s top cyber security body is calling for urgent national action to diversify the cyber workforce, warning the country cannot afford to leave critical talent untapped as cyber threats escalate and workforce shortages deepen. The Australian Information Security Association (AISA) said Australia faces a growing cyber capability gap at the same time governments, critical infrastructure operators and businesses are confronting increasingly sophisticated threats.
Jobs and Skills Australia data showed around 70,900 Australians were employed as Database and Systems Administrators and ICT Security Specialists in August 2025, with employment in the sector projected to grow by 14.2 per cent by 2029, more than double the national average. At the same time, more than 50 per cent of Australian Government agencies are already experiencing critical cyber security skills shortages, according to the State of the Service Report.
AISA Board Member and cyber expert Scarlett McDermott said Australia would struggle to meet future cyber capability demands unless governments and industry took stronger action to diversify by attracting more women, people who identify as women, First Nations people and people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the sector.v“Cyber security is now fundamental to Australia’s national resilience, economic stability and public safety, but we are still drawing from a workforce pool that is far too narrow,” McDermott said. “We cannot continue talking about cyber shortages while overlooking enormous talent pools across the Australian community. Women, for example, currently make up just 17 per cent of Australia’s cyber security workforce. That figure alone shows we are nowhere near where we need to be.”
AISA said improving diversity was not simply an equity issue, but a national capability issue. Research and workforce data by Industry Skills Australia continues to show that less diverse industries experience deeper and more…
