Australia’s peak cyber security body has warned the nation faces a deepening cyber capability crisis unless governments and industry take urgent action to broaden participation in the sector.
The Australian Information Security Association (AISA) has called for a national effort to diversify Australia’s cyber security workforce, warning that escalating threats and skills shortages are exposing a growing capability gap across government and industry alike.
The body said Australia could not afford to leave major talent pools untapped as demand for cyber professionals continues to outpace workforce growth.
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According to Jobs and Skills Australia data cited by AISA, around 70,900 Australians were employed as database and systems administrators and ICT security specialists as of 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, AISA said more than half of Australian government agencies are already experiencing critical cyber security skills shortages, according to the State of the Service Report.
Scarlett McDermott, AISA board member and cyber security expert, said Australia would struggle to meet future capability requirements unless governments and industry significantly expanded efforts to attract women, First Nations Australians, career changers, regional workers, and people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the sector.
“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 in a 27 May statement.
“We cannot continue talking about cyber shortages while overlooking enormous talent pools across the Australian community.”
McDermott said women currently represent just 17 per cent of Australia’s cyber security workforce, highlighting what she described as a major structural workforce issue.
AISA argued the issue extends beyond diversity targets and represents a broader national security and economic resilience challenge.
The organisation pointed to industry research showing that less-diverse industries tend to experience deeper and more persistent workforce shortages, while broader participation improves innovation, resilience, and productivity.
Speaking at CyberConnect Canberra 2026, McDermott said cyber security teams benefit from broader lived experience and varied problem-solving approaches, particularly as cyber threats increasingly target vulnerable communities, essential services, and critical infrastructure.
“Cyber attackers do not all think the same way, and our defenders cannot all come from the same backgrounds either,” McDermott said.
“We need stronger pathways for women and people who identify as women, First Nations Australians, regional Australians, career changers and people from disadvantaged communities.”
AISA is calling for expanded government incentives and workforce initiatives aimed at underrepresented groups, including scholarships, mentoring programs, cadetships, flexible work arrangements, and increased investment in cyber education and training across schools, vocational education, universities, and mid-career transition programs.
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David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.