The tech industry loves to talk about disruption, but there's one disruption it still struggles to embrace: gender equity. And nowhere is that tension more visible than in cybersecurity - a field where the stakes are high, the pressure is relentless, and the gender imbalance is particularly stark.

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We are one month on from our fantastic powerhouse panel discussion in partnership with cybersecurity pros Snyk.

‍In celebration of Women's History Month, Panelle and Snyk came together for #SnykWeek celebrating the incredible journeys and achievements of past, present, and future women shaping technology. You can see everything we worked on throughout the week HERE.

In the panel discussion, we heard from the brilliant panellists Jonaki Egenolf, CMO at Snyk, Daniela Raijman Aharonov, VP of Engineering at Snyk, and Lisa Carter, Founder of Panelle.

Panelle's VP Communications, Sarah Tijou, moderated the panel, here's her recap of what we all learnt...

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The Gender Gap in Cyber

Let’s start with the numbers. Women make up roughly 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce, a figure that’s grown slowly over the past decade. On paper, that’s progress. But in practice? Many women are still isolated in all-male teams, overlooked for promotions, and underrepresented in leadership.

Daniela Raijman Aharonov, VP of Engineering at Snyk, noted the same when our panel started:

"I’m used to seeing little windows full of men’s faces, so to sit on a panel like this - just women - feels radical."

This isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about ensuring the people protecting our digital world reflect the diversity of the people living in it. Because cybersecurity is about anticipating threats. And monocultures aren’t great at that.

Why Inclusion Fails Without Power

Diversity alone isn’t enough. Representation without authority is tokenism. In the panel, Lisa Carter, founder of Panelle, put it plainly:

"Hire women. Hire women of colour. Hire neurodiverse women. Then put them in strategic, budget-holding roles. That’s how you change the business."

Cybersecurity, perhaps more than any other tech sector, demands decision-makers who can navigate risk, assess ambiguity, and understand human behaviour. These aren’t skills limited to one gender, but you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, judging by boardroom demographics.

That’s why sponsorship, not just mentorship, is key. As Jonaki Egenolf, CMO of Snyk, explained, sometimes women don’t see their own potential because they’ve been taught not to:

"I once pushed a young woman to apply for a leadership role. She didn’t think she was qualified because she didn’t meet 100% of the criteria. She got the job. But only because someone told her she was ready."

Confidence doesn’t always come from within, it often has to be modelled, echoed, and amplified. Especially in an industry where high stakes can make people risk-averse about who they elevate. But, just knowing you're not alone can make the biggest impact, as Jonaki shared:

“My team knows that my door, whether physical or digital, is always open. So yes, I'm always open to being a mentor and to being mentored. To be honest, I don't think any of us are too old or too experienced that a mentor wouldn't benefit us too.”

Bias Isn’t Just in Hiring, It’s in the Code

There’s a deeper irony at play here: cybersecurity, by definition, is about detecting hidden threats. And yet many organizations fail to see the invisible threat of bias; whether in hiring practices, product development, or AI tools. Daniela said:

"Before performance reviews, I send out a document on unconscious bias. Just to make people aware of the patterns we don’t even notice."

The consequences of not doing so are real. AI-driven threat detection systems trained on biased data may overlook certain attack vectors. Security protocols that fail to consider different user behaviours, because the teams designing them all think the same, miss the mark. I love this from Daniela too:

"If airbags were designed by men and didn’t work properly for women. What do you think happens in cyber products built by homogenous teams?"

Raising the Next Generation of Cyber Allies

One of the most moving parts of the panel wasn’t about boardrooms or budgets, it was about sons. Each panellist is a mother, and all shared stories about raising boys to be allies. Jonaki shared this:

"I want my sons to grow up seeing women as equals. My son’s track team made T-shirts that said, ‘I run like a girl’ to support their female teammates."

Why does this matter in cybersecurity? Because the next CISO or red team engineer may be a girl who never sees herself represented in STEM. Or a boy taught to lead without listening.

Cultural change doesn’t start in corporate strategy decks. It starts at the dinner table. On the playground. In the small, everyday moments that shape our expectations.

The Power of Showing Up And Speaking Up

Cybersecurity isn’t an easy field for anyone. It requires resilience, relentless learning, and a high tolerance for stress. But for women, it also demands a second job: proving you belong.

The women in this panel, and countless others across the industry, are tired of playing that second role. They want to lead. To be heard. To build systems that protect everyone, not just a narrow slice of the population.

And they’re doing it. One conversation, one policy, one hire at a time. Daniele put it perfectly:

"Don’t make it the job of women to fix diversity. Make it the responsibility of leadership."

The Way Forward

If cybersecurity companies want to outpace threats, they need diverse minds solving complex problems. That means designing inclusive cultures, not just inclusive hiring campaigns. It means backing up values with budgets. And it means building teams that mirror the global population they aim to defend.

Representation isn’t a PR strategy. It’s a strategic advantage. As Lisa said:

“Where confidence comes from is really being able to see yourself reflected in leadership. And that's not going to happen if companies are not taking the responsibility seriously.”

And if the industry listens - really listens - to the women who’ve been holding the line quietly for decades, it just might become not only more secure, but more human.

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Finally, My Favourite Pearls

This was a panel of women who truly did something rare: they dropped the polished talking points and talked about what it really takes to not just survive, but lead in cybersecurity as a woman. So naturally, I want to share my favourite pearls of wisdom from each of them, as their words should continue to carry us all forward...

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Jonaki Egenolf (CMO, Snyk)

“Sometimes we have folks in our midst - especially young women - who are looking to check every box. And it’s not about checking every box. Even if you qualify for 75%, go for it. You can amaze yourself.”

“Whether formal or informal, I think it’s really important to create space for women to be vulnerable with each other. That’s how we validate each other’s experiences.”

Daniela Raijman Aharonov (VP of Engineering, Snyk)

“They don’t owe you more scope. You have to figure out how to solve a problem that your leaders care about. That was the moment I started owning my career.”

“I always tell my mentees: write down your wins. Keep a log. On the days you doubt yourself, or during performance reviews, you’ll have proof of how far you’ve come.”

Lisa Carter (Founder, Panelle)

“We are multidimensional. We are not one thing, and we shouldn't be boxed into a linear career path. I've done sales, fashion, tech, and all of it makes me who I am today.”

“There’s power in the pack. Sometimes you don’t have the strength yourself, so you pull it from the women around you.”

“I didn’t have a mentor in my early years. Now, I hire people I can learn from. I’m not just building a team, I’m building a perspective.”

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A huge thank you again to the lovely ladies at Snyk, and the brilliant audience! I know our team are very excited for the next big event! Watch this space.

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