According to a series of recent reports, there are approximately one million job openings for
Today’s companies are faced with attracting qualified candidates, navigating rising salaries, and implementing retention strategies to remain competitive. Some of the driving forces for the shortage of skilled workers include:
- A lack of experience in the varied disciplines to combat cyber crime
- Too few seasoned
cybersecurity professionals available in the market - The acceleration of complex cyber attack techniques
For example, a median candidate for an information security analyst position can expect an annual salary of $92,600 with top earners hitting $147,260, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.2 The Bureau forecasts that salary will continue to rise to 18 percent by 2024.3
Earlier this month, New York City announced their "New York Works" initiative to pump $30 million into cybersecurity training, academic research, and development labs.4 They’ll also use the funds to incubate cybersecurity firms willing to relocate to the city.
The plan calls for investments in universities to increase graduates possessing computer science and cybersecurity degrees, partnerships with existing tech firms to increase job opportunities, and financial and tax incentives within areas of the city. As the Mayor of New York stated, “We act now, we believe [these jobs] will be developed here and it will become a very big sector. ‘He who hesitates is lost,’ they say. We're not hesitating."
The approaches to tackling the shortage differ, but it’s clear more efforts are needed.
1. Seek fresh talent.
Implementing programs to foster entry-level applicants who have their
2. Consider the MSP model.
Outsourcing to a managed security solutions provider to handle the monitoring, remediation, and consultative elements. Managed Security Solution Providers (MSSPs) are uniquely positioned to leverage economies of scale over a base of end customers. The investments needed to run a Security Operations Center, obtain the various industry compliance certifications, and staff with qualified individuals makes it attractive to many firms seeking relief.
3. Remain open to organizational growth.
Using mergers and acquisitions is another strategy to acquire the much-needed cybersecurity talent. While this can be an expensive strategy, the demand for specialized talent is likely to yield companies looking to employ a buy-rather-than-build strategy. The stakes associated with breached customer records, compromised intellectual property, financial liability, and government regulations and fines will have an impact on boardroom decisions.
4. Keep alternative talent in mind.
Mark Twain famously said, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Searching non-traditional sources for talent, such as security conferences like RSA, Black Hat, and Def Con is a more accepted approach. A
Until the barriers are too high or the rewards are too small, the economics are on the side of the cyber criminals. Training, fostering, and developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals can’t come soon enough!
Have security questions? Please feel free to reach out to our Tech Data Security and Information Management specialist today at securityservices@techdata.com or 800-237-8931, ext. 73246.
About the Author
Tim Ayer is currently a Product Marketing Manager with the Security and Data Protection
References:
4 SC Media