Most cyber security decision-makers are struggling to recruit due to a shortage of skilled professionals, according to new research.
A recent report Cyber Security in Focus, features responses from cybersecurity directors, security operations directors and VPs of product security in EMEA and North America. Where 87% of respondents admitted they are suffering skills shortages, with over a third (35%) claiming positions were left unfilled after a 12-week period.
60% of organisations also admitted they have been struggling with finding cyber security talent, and 52% reported difficulties with retaining employees. Meanwhile, seven out of 10 leaders worldwide say hiring women and new graduates are among their top three challenges.
Ransomware attacks and other cyber threats have risen in prominence over the past few years, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Many businesses that had previously worked only in person were forced to quickly shift to e-commerce or remote work setups. With rapid change, it was difficult to keep up with the IT tasks that go with that change, such as making sure every device is backed up, ensuring employees are using secure connections and passwords. In addition to training employees on how to spot a scam before they click on it.
Protecting Your Business In A Hybrid World From Cyber Threats
The latest cyber security breaches survey 2022 by Gov.uk has revealed that 39% of UK businesses identified a cyberattack in the last 12 months with the most common threat vector was phishing attempts (83%). With average estimated cost of all cyber-attacks of £4,200 with only medium and large businesses the figure rises to £19,400. In addition decentralised remote working environments increase the impact of data breaches considerably. Organisations that had more than 50% of their workforce working remotely took 58 days longer to identify and contain breaches than those organisations with 50% or fewer employees working remotely.
There is a cybersecurity workforce gap of nearly 2.72 million cybersecurity professionals. Although the shortage has been steadily decreasing year over year, a 2021 study revealed that the global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow 65% to effectively protect organisations’ critical assets.
The report also notes that pathways to cybersecurity are changing. While 47% of cybersecurity professionals have an IT background, more than half of professionals got their start outside of IT— 17% transitioned from unrelated career fields, 15% gained access through cybersecurity education and 15% explored cybersecurity concepts on their own.
Among the top reasons why cybersecurity professionals are leaving their jobs are being recruited by other companies (59%), insufficient salary or bonus (48%), limited promotion opportunities (47%), high-stress levels (45%), and lack of management support (34%).
According to the latest ISC2 survey, global skills shortages fell for the second consecutive year in 2021 to 2.7 million, including a shortfall of 377,000 in the US and 33,000 in the UK.
Via Resource also dived into the UK Cyber Security market to understand the level of demand for good candidates and whether the skills gap really does exist. We had the opportunity to speak first-hand to candidates to find out their views on how the recruitment process has changed and to establish what candidates find attractive in employers and job opportunities. Overview of the results:
The Cyber Security Skills Gap And How To Attract Candidates
If you are looking for your next cyber security employee, get help from the experts. Hiring Cyber Security professionals can help you store and protect your valuable business information and ensure it is secure and backed up in the event of a breach or cyberattack. This is where Via Resource can help to build your highly functional security team.
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