Give to gain: How sponsoring women strengthens national security
Cybersecurity is becoming more complex, more visible and more consequential. Threat activity is escalating daily, and under increasing board and regulatory scrutiny, leadership capability has become a competitive differentiator. The critical question now is whether more women are progressing into the senior cyber roles where the highest-stakes decisions are made.
In 2025, New Zealand's National Cyber Security Centre reported that 53 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) experienced a cyber threat in the first half of the year – up from 36 per cent the year prior (1). With SMEs representing around 97 per cent of all businesses in New Zealand (2), the scale of exposure is significant.
The newly launched New Zealand Cyber Security Strategy 2026-2030 reinforces this reality. It sets a clear ambition to strengthen national resilience and grow the cyber workforce needed to support it. Achieving that ambition will depend not only on technology investment, but on the depth and diversity of the leadership guiding it.
At the same time, demand for cybersecurity talent is projected to grow by 65 per cent without equivalent growth in skills supply (3). As threats intensify and skilled talent remains constrained, pressure on senior cyber leaders increases - and leadership gaps shift from a workforce concern to a commercial and operational risk.
Meeting that risk requires expanding the pool of senior cyber leaders. Like any strong security posture, leadership capability must be designed with support built in.
That starts with progression.
Ensuring women are advancing into the roles where the highest-stakes cyber decisions are made. Building diverse leadership in cybersecurity isn't only about representation; it's about strengthening the capability and judgement our sector depends on.
The organisations that will lead in the next decade are those that apply the same rigour to leadership progression as they do to risk management - deliberate, disciplined and future-focused.
Cybersecurity now underpins economic resilience, organisational stability and national security. Yet despite the growing importance of cyber leadership, representation at senior levels tells a different story.
According to NZTech's Digital Skills Aotearoa report, women make up 29 per cent of the digital technology workforce. Representation declines at senior levels, where women hold 23 per cent of senior executive roles and 18 per cent of board positions in tech companies, and account for only 5 per cent of tech start-up founders (3). The figures show a clear drop-off as seniority and decision-making authority increases - a progression gap that limits leadership capability across the sector.
Encouraging more women into technology and cyber remains important, but entry alone is not enough. Participation does not automatically translate into influence. If women remain underrepresented in leadership roles, the systems shaping strategy, investment and risk management will continue to reflect a narrower set of perspectives.
Women backing women can't just be a slogan. It must be a leadership strategy.
In practice, that means building networks that expand access, embedding mentorship to strengthen judgement, treating sponsorship as a leadership responsibility, and clarifying what readiness looks like for the next role.
At Palo Alto Networks, that mindset shapes how we build leadership capacity. Our Women's Leadership Network increases visibility, connection and peer advocacy, helping women step forward for stretch opportunities. Our Underrepresented Talent programme creates a structured pathway into Senior Manager and Director-level roles, strengthening succession and long-term leadership capability.
This is where the International Women's Day theme, "Give to Gain", becomes a practical test of leadership. Giving, in this context, means assigning visible ownership of complex work, ensuring women are represented in succession planning conversations, and recognising contribution clearly and publicly. Small, deliberate actions accumulate into structural change. The gain is stronger judgement, deeper leadership capability and more resilient organisations.
Cybersecurity is a global discipline. Threats are borderless, talent is mobile and leadership capability determines which organisations adapt fastest. International Women's Day is a moment to reflect on the importance of strengthening cybersecurity leadership, which requires sustained action. In a sector defined by resilience, building inclusive leadership is not a side initiative. It is a strategic imperative.