As the world prepares to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, The Cyber Express takes the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the women trailblazers of the realm of cybersecurity. We proudly present the “Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026.”
This special recognition to Women in Cybersecurity highlights influential professionals who are driving innovation, strengthening cyber resilience, and shaping the future of digital security across industries.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” stresses on meaningful progress towards gender equality, which requires intentional contributions from governments, organizations, and individuals.
When institutions invest in women’s safety, leadership, and opportunities, the impact extends far beyond workplace representation — strengthening innovation, improving decision-making, and building more resilient societies.
Women in Cybersecurity: Progress and Persistent Challenges
Within cybersecurity, women continue to expand their presence in a field that has historically been male dominated. According to the latest available data, women currently make up about 22% of the global cybersecurity workforce, a significant increase from just 11% in 2017. Today, one in four cybersecurity professionals is a woman, and projections suggest that by 2031, women could represent nearly one-third of the cybersecurity workforce.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. In the United States, women still hold less than 20% of cybersecurity roles, and a gender pay gap of around 5% persists in the sector. Career growth also continues to present obstacles, with nearly half of women in cybersecurity reporting challenges in professional advancement, while almost one-third say they have experienced workplace discrimination at some point in their careers.
Even so, women across the cybersecurity ecosystem are making remarkable contributions — from leading security operations and shaping national cyber policies to advancing threat intelligence, digital forensics, and cyber resilience strategies. Their work is not only protecting organizations and critical infrastructure but also inspiring the next generation of security professionals.
Keeping this in mind, The Cyber Express’ “Top 50 Women Leaders in Cybersecurity to Watch in 2026” recognizes professionals whose leadership, expertise, and impact are helping redefine the cybersecurity landscape.
Their journeys reflect the spirit of International Women’s Day on 8 March — demonstrating that when we support and empower women in cybersecurity, the entire digital ecosystem stands to gain.
Top 50 Women Leader in Cybersecurity | IWD Special by The Cyber Express
| Name | Designation | Company Name |
| Celia Mantshiyane | Group Chief Information Security Officer | FirstRand |
| Radhika Bajpai | CISO | Russell Investments |
| Holly Foxcroft | Cyber Security Business Partner – BISO | OneAdvanced |
| Dr Sheeba Armoogum | Associate Professor in Cybersecurity | University of Mauritius |
| Irene Corpuz | Founding Partner, Head of Governance & Communications | Women in Cyber Security Middle East |
| Patricia “Patty” Voight | Executive Managing Director; CISO and Tech Risk Management | Webster Bank |
| Alya Al Marzooqi | Group Digital Risk Management and Compliance Manager | ADNOC Group |
| Sakshi Porwal | Global Chief Information Security Officer & Cybersecurity Consulting Practice Head | Compunnel Inc. |
| Rona Michele Spiegel, CISSP | Senior Manager, Security and Trust, Mergers and Acquisitions | Autodesk |
| Dr Priyanka Sunder | Co-Founder & Chief Human Risk Intelligence Officer | Secure Mojo |
| Lauren Dana Rosenblatt | Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) | PSEG |
| Sheeba Sultan Hasnain | Chairwoman & CIO | SENTIENTE |
| Dr. Meetali Sharma | Director – Risk, Compliance and Information Security | SDG Corporation |
| Kylie Watson | Head of Cyber Security, ANZ/ASEAN/Japan/India/GC/Middle East/Africa | DXC Technology |
| Catherine Rowe | Chief Information Security Officer | Reserve Bank of Australia |
| Maryam Bechtel | General Manager, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) | TAL Australia |
| Sofia Scozzari | CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and Founder | Hackmanac |
| Archana Venugopal | Senior Vice President & Chief Information Secuirty Officer National aCommodity& Derivates Exchange | National Commodity & Derivative Exchange Of India Limited |
| Shivani Arni | Enterprise CISO | Mahindra Group |
| Cindy (Monceaux) Hoots | Chief Digital Officer & CIO | AstraZeneca |
| Jae Evans | EVP, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Global CIO | Oracle |
| Sheila Jordan | Chief Digital Technology Officer | Honeywell |
| Maria Demaree | Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business and Digital Transformation & CIO | Lockheed Martin |
| Heide Young | Manager Cyber Strategy & Engagement | NEOM |
| Eman Al Awadhi | Vice President – Network and Cyber Security | Expo City Dubai |
| Julia Dudenko | Group CISO | Haniel |
| Anne Neuberger | Deputy National Security Advisor, Cyber & Emerging Tech | National Security Council, The White House |
| Kris Lovejoy | Global Head of Strategy | Kyndryl |
| Ramya Ganesh | Cybersecurity XDR Leader | Cisco |
| Jane Teh | Founder and CEO | VortiQ[x] |
| Nasrin Rezai | SVP, Chief Information Security Officer | Verizon |
| Laura Deaner | Chief Information Security Officer | The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) |
| Mignona Coté | SVP Chief Information Security Officer | Infor |
| Noopur Davis | Global CISO. Chief Product Privacy Officer. Corporate EVP. | Comcast |
| Teresa Zielinski | Vice President, CISO | GE Vernova |
| Andrea Abell | Chief Information Security Officer | Eli Lilly and Company |
| Deneen DeFiore | Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer | United Airlines |
| Elizabeth Joyce | EVP & Global CISO | State Street |
| Mary Rose Martinez | Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of Infrastructure | Marathon Petroleum Corporation |
| Marnie (Huss) Wilking | VP Chief Security Officer | Booking.com |
| Hannah Suarez 🇵🇸 | CISO | Loyalty Status Co |
| Annie (Anne) Haggar | Deputy Chief of Staff | Australian Government |
| Sujata Misra | GM – Network Infra and Security Leader | Brigade Group |
| Bonnie Butlin | Co-Founder and Executive Director | Security Partners’ Forum |
| Gurdeep Kaur | Chief Operating Officer | Suraksha Catalyst |
| Vandana Verma | President | InfoSec Girls |
| Mansi Thapar | Global Head – Cyber Security & Infra | Apollo Tyres |
| Rosalia Hajek | CISO | Topgolf Callaway Brands |
| Carmen Marsh | President & CEO | United Cybersecurity Alliance (Europe, US, Middle East & Japan) |
| Lisa Fitzgerald | Partner | Norton Rose Fulbright |
