EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The world’s largest non-profit membership association of cyber security professionals, (ISC)2, reports that the cyber security skills shortage is still a significant issue. Due to the skills shortage, cyber professionals struggled to execute rapid digital transformations amidst the coronavirus pandemic. With more professional assistance, transformations would might have been less stressful and more seamless.
- 22% of cyber security professionals had less than 24 hours to secure remote systems.
- 47% had a transition deadline of five business days.
- 33% of executive decision-makers lacked awareness of the increased security burden posed by the rapid transition to remote work.
What it will take to close the cyber security skills gap:
In North America, the cyber security workforce must increase by 376,000 professionals in order to close the skills gap. In the Asia Pacific region, over two million cyber security experts are needed to fill available vacancies. In Europe, that number is 168,000. Statistics were unavailable for South America or the Middle East.
Thinking about a career in cyber security or know someone who is?
For those interested in the field of cyber security, the barrier to entry is not sky high. Over 75% of individuals in cyber security roles hold only a bachelor’s degree, and roughly 30% of the degrees are not in IT related fields. And nearly 10% of those working in cyber security simply have a high school diploma. Businesses report that 23% of cyber security hires are adults who have changed careers in the course of their lives.
Job security in the field of cyber security is “fairly high”. Individuals spend an average of 6.7 years working for the same organization. Presently, the most in-demand cyber security skills are related to securing cloud data. Over the next two years, 40% of organizations anticipate hiring cloud security professionals.
For more on this story, visit CPO Magazine.
