The demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing rapidly, yet there is a severe shortage of skilled workers to fill critical roles. This cybersecurity skills gap poses significant risks for organizations seeking to protect their data and IT infrastructure. In this article, we will examine the key impacts the skills shortage has on data protection efforts and cyber resilience.
The Widening Gap Between Supply and Demand
The cybersecurity skills shortage is expected to continue growing over the next decade. Here are some key figures that illustrate the extent of the problem:
- Job growth in cybersecurity is projected to be around 37% through 2022, much faster than average job growth across all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- There will be an estimated 1.8 million unfilled cybersecurity positions by 2022 (Cybersecurity Ventures).
- Only 23% of organizations say they have a sufficient budget to provide cybersecurity training and hire talent (ESG Research).
This enormous gap between supply and demand for cybersecurity skills stems from various factors:
- Rapid evolution of the threat landscape requiring new expertise.
- Not enough students pursuing cybersecurity education.
- Difficulty retaining talent due to high turnover and burnout.
As a result, organizations struggle to recruit and hire qualified information security personnel.
Increased Cybersecurity Risks
The cybersecurity skills shortage directly translates into greater data protection risks in the following ways:
Slower Response to Threats
With staffing deficiencies, security teams cannot respond as quickly to detect and mitigate breaches. Attackers have more time to infiltrate networks and exfiltrate sensitive data while defenses are down.
Case Example: The City of Baltimore’s networks were infected with ransomware that went undetected for weeks, erasing data and disrupting government services for months.
Gap in Critical Skills
Many organizations lack expertise in crucial domains like cloud security, application security, and incident response. This leaves them vulnerable in high-risk areas.
47% of technology leaders say their cybersecurity team lacks the skills to keep their infrastructure secure (ESG Research).
Difficulty Adopting New Technologies
An inability to implement and run key security tools due to resource constraints or knowledge gaps. This slows down digital transformation initiatives.
For instance, rolling out multi-factor authentication across an enterprise requires specialized knowledge.
Lower Employee Security Awareness
With limited staff, security awareness and training efforts reach a smaller percentage of the employee population. This increases risky user behavior and susceptibility to phishing.
Strategies for Overcoming the Cybersecurity Talent Shortage
Despite the challenges, organizations can take proactive steps to enhance data protection in light of the skills gap:
-
Prioritize training and certification to uplift the existing team’s capabilities. Offer incentives to complete courses.
-
Automate repetitive tasks through security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) platforms. This amplifies productivity.
-
Hire junior roles and develop their skills over time through mentorships. Creates a talent pipeline.
-
Double down on security fundamentals like patching, backups, and least-privilege access. Maximize basics.
-
Outsource specialized skills on a temporary basis to fill immediate gaps, like pen testing.
-
Focus hiring on communication and problem-solving skills. Technical expertise can be gained on the job.
The cybersecurity skills shortage puts data protection at risk. But by developing staff, hiring non-traditionally, and optimizing security foundations, organizations can temper its adverse impacts. The strategies above can build resilience even as the talent gap continues to widen.
