Cybersecurity has become one of the most talked-about topics for businesses of all sizes and industries. With breaches, malware, and phishing attacks permeating the regular news cycles, there is no doubt that every organization needs to implement better measures.
Here’s the hang-up – the high demand for IT talent isn’t keeping pace with the supply. The number of people graduating with degrees in high tech, combined with the list of currently trained and practicing professionals, can only fill a portion of the available job openings.
That presents a real test for smaller organizations with limited budgets. How much can you afford to pay an experienced and highly capable IT professional? With demand far outstripping supply, that quest for quality talent can be a difficult, if not impossible challenge.
Unbalanced Supply and Demand
Don’t take our word for it; there’s plenty of statistics to back this up. According to Burning Glass Technologies, an analytics software company, the number of IT training programs for employees increased by a third between 2013 and 2017, while the number of graduates has increased by over 40%, yet job postings in cybersecurity grew a miraculous 94%. The demand for talent has grown so tremendously in the past few years that the supply can’t keep up. For every opening in the industry, there are only 2.3 employed workers to pull from – the same ratio as 2015/16. In fact, the job postings have grown 94% since 2013, 3x faster than IT jobs.
The Center for Cyber Safety and Education expect the unfilled cybersecurity jobs to reach 1.8 million by 2022. With many organizations understaffed and lacking employees with the right skills, this matter could limit an organization’s ability to automate, innovate, and create new operational efficiencies, as well as to protect themselves from the increasing security risks such as ransomware and social engineering schemes.
The Effects on Businesses
A study done by the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) found that 53% of organizations surveyed reported a shortage in IT skills – a percentage that has increased every year. Of the 267 cybersecurity professionals and ISSA members, 74% of respondents say the skills shortage has impacted them. Unsurprisingly, this percentage has risen every year. Another 66% find that this issue has overloaded their staff, which could ultimately lead to human error and burnout.
What can small organizations do about this?
Infocyte’s Mid-market Threat and Incident Response Report found that despite small businesses adopting cybersecurity measures, they are unable to hire IT staff that can detect and countermeasure attacks.
Because there is such a limited supply of talent, hiring someone to join your team will likely be a very long process and may lead to employing someone underqualified. Even if there is someone in your organization that may be interested in adding cybersecurity to their repertoire, the time it takes to train will be lengthy and distracting. Those concerns are why turning to experienced professionals is key. Netzbahn specifically caters to municipalities and SMBs with the understanding that budgets are limited, but security is still extremely important.
There is no evidence to suggest the skills shortage is improving. Don’t waste time waiting for prospective staff to appear from the clouds – take advantage of our expertise providing personalized services, covering everything from security, technology, consulting, and auditing. Give Netzbahn a call at 920.297.5000 to learn more about how we can create a beneficial security environment for your business.