The 2026 Cyber Talent Study represents a workforce intelligence collaboration between Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) and skillrex. Using the skillrex Baseline Assessment, this study measures performance across Technical, Organizational, Professional, and Leadership competencies and compares WiCyS members against an industry cohort of other participants of skillrex’s Baseline Assessment (referred to as “All Others” in this report).

The empirical evidence builds upon a systemic performance advantage—referred to as the “WiCyS Edge.” In the previous 2025 WiCyS Talent Study, the overall WiCyS cohort outperformed their industry counterparts in 16 of 20 NICE Framework areas, achieving an aggregate composite score (“WiCyS Edge”) roughly 10% higher than the industry baseline. However, a surface-level acknowledgement of this historical outperformance obscures profound second- and third-order operational insights revealed in the current 2026 research. 

The new preliminary data shows the performance delta is highly elastic, fluctuating significantly based on the practitioner’s career stage, the underlying nature of the competency (Technical capabilities versus Power/Soft Skills), the specific functional group to which the practitioner belongs, and—critically—down to the individual competency and skill level. Unlike prior analyses that emphasized NICE Framework Areas alone, this research drills into discrete competencies and skills, enabling a more granular understanding of where strengths concentrate and where targeted development opportunities emerge.

Get the full insights in the Executive Summary below!