Data Security

How Bad Is the UKs Cyber Security Skills Shortage?

February 15, 2024

How Bad Is the UK’s Cyber Security Skills Shortage?

The UK is facing a significant cyber security skills shortage that poses major risks to businesses, government agencies, and citizens. Here is an in-depth look at the extent of the problem and its implications.

The Scale of the Cyber Security Skills Gap

There are an estimated 10,000 open cyber security jobs in the UK that remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified personnel. This represents a major skills gap that has widened in recent years.
A 2021 survey by the Institution of Engineering and Technology found that 59% of UK organisations reported having too few cyber security professionals.
The UK government has acknowledged the skills shortage, with the National Cyber Security Centre estimating the country needs at least 300,000 more trained cyber security professionals.
Demand for cyber security skills continues to grow rapidly as organisations migrate online and threats become more sophisticated. However, not enough people have the necessary skills and expertise to fill vacant roles.

Consequences of the Skills Shortage

Understaffed cyber security teams mean organisations are more vulnerable to cyber attacks. Valuable data, systems and infrastructure are put at greater risk.
Recruitment struggles result in higher salaries for cyber security workers as companies compete for talent. This puts pressure on budgets, especially for smaller businesses.
With limited resources, organisations are unable to effectively monitor, detect and respond to the huge volume of cyber threats they face.
Burnout becomes more common among existing cyber security staff as workloads increase while teams remain understaffed. This can further compound recruitment and retention challenges.
Cyber security risks being neglected or deprioritised due to lack of qualified staff to manage them. This leaves organisations open to preventable data breaches and attacks.

Factors Behind the Skills Shortage

Insufficient training routes mean not enough people have the specialist skills to qualify for cyber security roles. Degree programs and vocational courses are limited.
Negative perceptions of cyber security as an ‘IT’ career puts many people off. In reality, various non-technical skills are also required.
Lack of diversity means cyber security teams do not benefit from a wide talent pool. Women are notably underrepresented in the industry.
It is hard for organisations to attract talent when competing with higher salaries offered by large tech firms and specialist cyber security consultancies.
Geographic disparities mean London and the South East get most investment and job opportunities. This limits access for those elsewhere.

Addressing the Cyber Security Skills Crisis

Promoting cyber security as a career path to underrepresented groups, like women, neurodiverse people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Investing in training and education initiatives to increase the talent pipeline at all levels, from schools to universities.
Incentivising business to provide cyber security apprenticeships by offering subsidies and tax relief.
Advocating for flexible and hybrid working to expand the pool of potential candidates nationally.
Introducing cyber security as a core part of computing/ICT education in schools and colleges.

The UK’s cyber security skills gap presents a real risk but can be reduced through inclusive hiring, training investment and promoting the industry. With cyber threats only growing, developing talent must be a national priority.