The workforce shortage is impacting organisations’ abilities to secure increasingly complex information systems and networks, according to the latest study by Trellix.
The report revealed that 85 percent of companies surveyed agree that the talent shortage is afflicting the cybersecurity industry. It also showed that of the current workforce, 30 percent plan to change professions in the future.
“Our industry is already 2.72 million people short. Cultivating and nurturing a cybersecurity workforce for our future requires expanding who we view as talent and changing our practices across the public and private sectors,” said Bryan Palma, CEO of Trellix.
“Closing the cybersecurity talent gap is not only a business imperative, but important to national security and our daily lives. We need to remove barriers to entry, actively work to inspire people to do soulful work and ensure those in the field are retained.”
The study highlighted that as threats from nation-state actors and cybercriminals grow in volume and sophistication, the worldwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals grows as well.
It found that over half (56 percent) believe that degrees aren’t needed for a successful career in cybersecurity. Additionally, it revealed that support for development of skills (85 percent) and the pursuit of certifications (80 percent) were selected as highly or extremely important factors for the industry to expand the workforce.
It also shed light on the need for more education in the cybersecurity industry, noting that employers could be doing more to encourage community mentoring programmes with a presence in K-12 schools (94 percent).
In terms of attracting more people in the cybersecurity field, the Trellix study highlighted that efforts to promote the soulfulness of cybersecurity careers (43 percent), encouragement of STEM students considering cybersecurity careers (41 percent), and more financial support for students in cybersecurity career paths (39 percent) are key.
A large majority of respondents (91 percent) believe there needs to be wider efforts to grow the cybersecurity talent pool from diverse groups. When it comes to encouraging more people to consider a career in cybersecurity, respondents reported inclusivity and equality for women (79 percent), diversity of the cybersecurity workforce (77 percent) and pay gaps between different demographic groups (72 percent) as highly or extremely important factors for the industry to address. Additional findings include:
The survey found the vast majority (94 percent) believe the role of those working in cybersecurity is greater now than ever before and a similar amount (92 percent) report cybersecurity as purposeful, soulful work that motivates them. However, cybersecurity professionals are hungry for recognition, with 36 percent noting they feel a lack of acknowledgement for the good done for society. Of those looking to leave the field, 12 percent say it is due to lack of feeling appreciated.
