As a cyber security professional I have dealt with this directly as well as wittiness this through interacting with other professionals. This is my take on it. Feel free to spark any conversation up about the info provided. 1.The skills gap exists because companies often hire engineer-level candidates for analyst-level positions. (Consider interviewing individuals with little to no experience for entry-level roles. For instance, a network or system admin could make a great entry-level SOC analyst, and a compliance specialist could transition into a junior GRC role with minimal additional training.) 2. Some positions advertised by companies are for market evaluation purposes only. These positions may remain unfilled unless a team member leaves. 3. Compensation is low, not just in terms of pay (which can vary depending on company), but also in terms of training budgets. This limits the ability to develop new talent. Every few years, emerging technologies require attention. How does your company support its cybersecurity professionals in updating their skills? Cybrary, Hack The Box, Antisyphon Training are excellent resources. However, more expensive training programs often require significant commitment from the company. From a business perspective, investing in certifications raises questions about retaining talent. The key is to provide growth opportunities. Each individual has their own professional aspirations, just as companies have theirs. Aligning personal growth with professional opportunities encourages retention. This alignment may not be immediate, but it's a journey. Losing a few professionals along the way is acceptable if it means fostering an environment that cultivates strong cybersecurity professionals and retains talent within the company.
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Is Cyber Security Skills Gap a Myth in 2024? I was reading the highlights of the 2024 Cloud Security Report by Fortinet, and this caught my attention as I have been hearing that the situation is sometimes quite the opposite, with some cybersecurity professionals struggling to find technical positions available: "Cybersecurity Talent Shortage: Companies face a critical shortage of cybersecurity expertise, with 93% of respondents concerned about finding qualified professionals to protect complex multi-cloud environments. This directly affects their security posture and strategic efforts. The persistent scarcity of cloud security expertise hinders faster and more widespread adoption of multi-cloud strategies." So, is Cyber Security Skills Gap a Myth? Well, I found this article from StationX with some very interesting facts and stats that answer this question and can give us a better idea of where to focus, some important certifications, etc. It's definitely worth reading! #cybersecurity
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3moGreat insight Joe. I do believe there is a skills gap in our industry. Unfortunately, there may not be an easy fix because, in my experience, there is no single root cause to the problem. Some of the biggest challenges I have seen are: 1. Despite increased regulation and compliance, there is also an increased pressure on executives to be profitable (which I completely understand). I believe most executives want to be secure, but how to balance security with profitability is a difficult challenge. Hopefully, we will continue to see an increased championing of cyber security from the highest levels which will lead to increased budgets. 2. I have been blessed in my career to work with some great people that had the desire and drive to go out and improve their skills. But, this is not always the case. Some still want to do the minimum to get a job and they think they can stop there. We have to encourage our employees on their journey to never stop learning. These are just a couple of the challenges on our end. Then there is the ever evolving world of threats from the outside.