Women in Cyber in Edinburgh: The City Has the Jobs. Now For the Talent Pipeline
Women make up just 16% of the UK cyber security workforce, against 48% of the UK workforce as a whole, according to the UK Government's Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2026, published on 29 September 2026. The same report ranks Edinburgh fifth in the UK for core cyber job postings, with 845 roles advertised in 2025, overtaking Leeds. Glasgow ranked sixth with 804.
For women in cyber in Edinburgh, that sets up a clear tension. Demand for cyber skills in the city is rising, while the sector still recruits from a small share of the available talent.
That was the backdrop to See It Be It 2026, a free conference for young women held in Edinburgh on 2 October and sponsored by Consider IT. Below, we set out the latest figures, where the talent pipeline narrows, what local programmes are doing about it, and the practical steps Edinburgh employers can take.
Women in cyber: the numbers
The government's latest annual study of the cyber security labour market gives the clearest picture yet of how many women work in the field. According to Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2026:
16% of the UK cyber security workforce is female
12% of senior cyber roles (six or more years' experience) are held by women
29% of the wider UK digital sector workforce is female
48% of the UK workforce as a whole is female
The direction of travel matters too. Last year's edition of the same report put the share of women in cyber at 17%, so the gap is not closing.
At the same time, the need for skills is growing. The report finds that 57% of UK businesses have a basic technical cyber skills gap, up from 49% the year before.
Taken together, these figures describe a talent supply issue for employers as much as a question of fairness. When most businesses report skills gaps, a sector drawing on a small share of the workforce is leaving capacity untapped.
Why the gap matters for Edinburgh
Edinburgh is now the UK's fifth-largest location for core cyber job postings, and Scotland as a whole is taking a bigger share of the market. The government's skills report shows Scotland's share of UK core cyber postings rose from 7% in 2024 to 9% in 2025.
Pay reflects that competition. The mean advertised salary for core cyber roles in Scotland was £63,100 in 2025, second only to London.
The number of businesses chasing those skills is growing too. The Cyber security sectoral analysis 2026, published on 12 May 2026, found the number of active UK cyber security firms rose 20% in a year, to 2,603.
For Edinburgh's SMEs in finance, law, energy and the public sector, this is a practical concern. They are competing with specialist firms and large employers for the same small pool of defenders. Widening that pool, including by bringing more women into the field, is a business issue as well as a social one. Edinburgh cyber security has grown into a real strength for the city, and keeping it that way depends on people.
Where Scotland's cyber talent pipeline narrows
The gap does not start in the workplace. It opens early and widens at each stage.
At school. Girls made up around one in five Higher Computing Science entries in Scotland in 2026 (830 of 3,990), and about 23% at National 5 (1,465 of 6,445), as reported by FutureScot using Qualifications Scotland figures. Computing science teacher Toni Scullion, founder of Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science, told FutureScot this is "not an attainment gap – it's an engagement gap".
At university. Only 14% of undergraduate and 28% of postgraduate cyber security students identified as female in 2023/24, according to the government's skills report.
In the workplace. Women make up 16% of the cyber workforce, falling to 12% of senior roles.
The same government research also looked at why. Barriers it identified include assumptions that women lack technical skills or interest in the field, and a perception of the sector as an "old boys' club". These are findings from the research, and they point to issues of visibility and culture rather than ability.
See It Be It 2026: introducing pupils to Scotland's cyber women
See It Be It 2026 was a free conference run by the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland on 2 October 2026 at Royal Bank of Scotland, Gogarburn. Royal Bank of Scotland and Fortinet were its strategic partners.
The event brought together female high school pupils, college and university students, educators and cyber professionals. Its published programme included:
panels on routes into cyber, what employers look for, and the links between education and industry
a Careers Hub
hands-on activities
small-group mentoring
A school competition let winning Scottish high schools bring up to 10 pupils, with travel bursaries where needed.
The conference is part of a wider programme. Before the event, the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland reported that See It Be It had reached more than 20 schools and over 200 schoolgirls in 12 months, across Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling (DIGIT, 30 June 2026).
You can read more about why Consider IT sponsored See It Be It 2026 in our announcement.
Why Consider IT backed See It Be It
Consider IT is a cybersecurity-led managed IT provider headquartered at Waterview House, 37 Shore, in Leith. We are a member of the Scottish Cyber Security Network, which is endorsed by the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland.
Our reason for sponsoring is a long-term one. As an IT cyber security company in Edinburgh, we depend on the same local talent pool as our clients. Supporting young women into the field fits our "Positive Impact" value and our B-Corp commitments. We also funded a Scottish school's attendance at the conference.
Lauren Pyle, Sales and Marketing Director at Consider IT, said: "We backed See It Be It because Edinburgh's cyber talent pool won't grow on its own. Girls often make their subject choices before they've met anyone who works in cyber, so seeing women in these roles can change what feels possible. For Edinburgh employers trying to hire cyber skills, a wider talent pool means more people to choose from and teams that better reflect the businesses they protect."
Andy Maclaren, Cyber Security Director at Consider IT, said: "When we hire at entry level, we look for curiosity, problem-solving and a willingness to keep learning, more than a long list of certificates. Some of the best people in cyber came in through apprenticeships, helpdesk roles or entirely different careers. There isn't one route in."
Consider IT is one sponsor and one employer among many working on this. Our day-to-day focus remains protecting Scottish organisations through our cyber security services.
Cyber diversity in Edinburgh: who else is driving change
See It Be It is one part of a wider push for cyber diversity in Edinburgh and across Scotland.
Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) is a not-for-profit founded in 2008 that runs tech talks, awards and mentoring for women in the sector, with events in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Women in Cyber: Leading Change in the Public Sector is a Scottish Government-funded leadership programme run by Empowering You for women in information security roles across Scotland's public and third sector. Its 2026-27 cohort graduates in Edinburgh in February 2027.
Together, these programmes support women at every stage, from the classroom to leadership.
What Edinburgh employers can do next
You don't need to be a cyber specialist to help widen the talent pool. Practical steps any Edinburgh organisation can take include:
Open your doors to young people. Offer work experience, school talks or mentoring, including through programmes such as See It Be It.
Review your job adverts. Ask for the skills the role actually needs, rather than a long list of qualifications that may put good candidates off.
Show there is more than one route in. Make apprenticeships, graduate schemes and roles for career changers visible.
Make role models visible. Feature women in technical and senior roles in recruitment materials, events and school visits.
Support progression, not just entry. With women holding 12% of senior cyber roles, mentoring and development for existing staff matter as much as hiring.
Closing the gap for women in cyber in Edinburgh
Three things stand out from the latest figures. Local demand for cyber skills is growing, with Edinburgh now fifth in the UK for core cyber job postings. The talent pipeline narrows at every stage, from one in five Higher Computing Science entries to 12% of senior roles. And practical work to change that is already under way in the city, from See It Be It to SWiT and public sector leadership programmes.
The opportunity for women in cyber in Edinburgh is real, and so is the gap. Employers who help close it will have more people to hire from in the years ahead.
If you'd like to talk about your organisation's cyber security, contact us and our Edinburgh team will be happy to help.
For comment or interview requests, contact Lauren Pyle, Sales and Marketing Director, at [email protected].
