Cybersecurity Skills: Filling a Critical Gap in Your Organization

Businesses across all industries and sectors must create a safe online environment for their employees clients. For that, they must rely on cybersecurity professionals to protect their systems.

Over 60% percent of organizations experienced a jump of 25% or more in cyber threats or alerts since the start of 2020. With that, the demand for cybersecurity skills has reached an all-time high over the past few years.

But if you struggle to find ideal cybersecurity defense experts, you are not alone. It’s estimated that nearly 700,000 cybersecurity jobs are currently unfilled. That’s a big talent and skills gap in the cybersecurity field.

Let’s get into some how you can fill gaps on your cybersecurity teams, but first, we’ll talk about some challenges organizations face in closing the skills gap.

Challenges Organizations Face Finding Cybersecurity Talent

There are some key reasons why employers find filling cybersecurity roles difficult.

1. The Lack of Specific Formal Cybersecurity Training & Cost of Entry

The cost of a computer science or related degree can be significant. Additionally, cybersecurity relies heavily on certifications. Some cybersecurity-specific courses or training bootcamps can cost over $10,000, causing recent graduates—in IT or otherwise—to choose to work in a different area.

The industry has set standards that—combined with costs—could create a substantial barrier to entry for both employees and employers. It takes time and money to upskill people.

2. There’s Not Organizational Buy-In

Some organizations—and the people leading them—don’t understand the full value of robust cybersecurity. Cybersecurity takes investment from the top down, from building the infrastructure to protect the organization to educating employees on best practices. It can be tough to build out a team and commit to training new employees if it’s not a top priority of stakeholders.

3. Neglecting to Practice Diversity and Inclusion

Some organizations lack focus on diversity and inclusion could prevent organizations from finding and hiring the cybersecurity talent they need. Don’t miss out on cybersecurity candidates because of a failure to expand your search to ensure inclusion and diversity.

Tips for Filling A Cybersecurity Skills & Talent Gap

The great news is that the cybersecurity talent is out there, whether they’re currently in cybersecurity positions or not. Let’s go through some tips for filling the cybersecurity skills gap in your organization.

Offer Upskilling & Reskilling Programs

Reach out to existing employees in the IT space and give them a chance to specialize with upskilling opportunities. You can save time, energy, and expenses by finding and training someone in-house.

Look all around the organization and ask if anyone is interested. You know the talent and their soft and hard skills. Could they be reskilled or upskilled to join your cybersecurity team? In addition to filling a skills gap, upskilling opportunities show employees your investment in their careers.

Rethink Some Hiring Practices

Do all of your entry-level cybersecurity positions need to have certain degrees? Or are there soft skills you can identify with candidates that will make them great options for entry-level positions? Also, if you have qualified candidates for more mid-level positions, consider if they need all of the certifications you require before starting. Could they join the org, get acquainted, and you help them get the last certification or two that they need?

On the other side of the hiring process, rethink where you source candidates. Some of your best candidates may already work within your IT team. Some might come from past military experience but haven’t broken into the field yet. Others might be part of local technical colleges, and you can form a relationship with them to help generate a talent pipeline.

Get creative with who you hire and from where you hire them.

Organizational Culture Needs to Be Top Notch

Once you have employees, it’s crucial to have a top-notch culture that keeps employees around. A solid company culture can lure a great candidate away from a job that may be overworking them or not investing in their long-term future, too.

Outsource Cybersecurity In the Meantime If Needed

It is crucial that you have a cybersecurity professional, or a cybersecurity team (depending on the size of your organization), to protect your and your clients’ intellectual, financial, and human resource data. While you can make strides with company-wide education on best cybersecurity practices, you may need to fill a gap with an outside firm until you can build your internal team to be self-sustaining.

Outsourcing cybersecurity comes with its pros and cons, but if your organization sees a significant gap in security, it could be a worthwhile option.

Find the Best IT Talent for Cybersecurity and Training Jobs

We know how challenging it is for business leaders to find the right candidate for today’s cybersecurity jobs. As the second-largest IT staffing firm in the United States, we can help you find cybersecurity professionals or IT experts ready for training.