It’s a refrain I’ve been hearing for the past 18 months from clients all over the world: “We need more skilled people for our security team.”
Cybersecurity Has a Serious Talent Shortage. Here’s How to Fix It
The global cybersecurity workforce will have more than 1.5 million unfilled positions by 2020. What’s causing the talent shortage? One of the big reasons is that security businesses tend to look for people with traditional technology credentials — college degrees in tech fields, for example. Businesses should open themselves up to applicants whose nontraditional backgrounds mean they could bring new ideas to the position and the challenge of improving cybersecurity. There are no signs that the bad guys are limiting their talent pool — and cybercrime is now a $445 billion business. Companies that are interested in using a new collar approach to fill security positions should consider the following: Re-examine your workforce strategy. Improve your engagement and outreach. Build a local cybersecurity ecosystem. Have a robust support program for new hires. Focus on continuous learning and upskilling. Cybersecurity is a complex career field with extraordinarily challenging problems, but with a diverse pool of experiences and ideas, we stand a much greater chance of successfully defending our assets.