03 Aug The most critical gap in cybersecurity today: Talent
You only have to look at recent headlines to confirm that cybersecurity is a critical concern that touches every industry and every individual, and threats are only continuing to increase.
Yet in a recent study conducted by ISACA and RSA, 52 percent of global cybersecurity and IT managers and practitioners said “that less than a quarter of applicants for cybersecurity positions have the necessary skills for the open position. As a result, 53 percent said it can take three to six months just to find a qualified candidate.” Then it takes another three to get them on board. This is a pressing issue within this field of work that needs to be addressed. So how did this shortage or “talent gap” happen in the first place?
When the information security industry first began to be a focus area, three decades ago (when I entered the IT/Security world!), enterprises did not anticipate the incredible advancements in technology, the rapid increase in advanced cyber attacks and the constant need to protect sensitive data. The major advancements of technology alone from mobile applications to cloud to the internet of things has shined a spotlight on both the security vulnerabilities these technologies present, and the lack of cybersecurity professionals who know how to fix them.