FEATURE : CYBER SKILLS
Being proactive about closing the cyber skills gap
The skills gap is a heavily talked about subject amongst industry professionals as they attempt to find ways to appeal to potential new employees . New Fortinet research has revealed escalating cyber-risks due to the ongoing talent shortage while the number of organisations experiencing five or more breaches jumped by 53 %. We take a look at how organisations are responding .
Fortinet , the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security , has released its 2023 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report , which reveals ongoing challenges related to the cybersecurity skills shortage affecting organisations worldwide . Key findings from the global report include :
• The cybersecurity skills shortage has contributed to critical IT positions not being filled , which increases organisations ’ cyber-risks , such as breaches .
• Cybersecurity remains a priority for boards of directors and there is executive demand for increased IT security headcount .
• Technology-focused certifications are highly regarded by employers , serving as validation of skillsets .
• Organisations recognise the advantage of recruiting and retaining diverse talent to help address the skills shortage , but doing so has presented a challenge .
The costly reality
An estimated 3.4 million professionals are needed to fill the global cybersecurity workforce gap . At the same time , the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report found that the number of organisations experiencing five or more breaches jumped by 53 % from 2021 to 2022 . One repercussion of this is that many short-staffed cybersecurity teams are burdened and strained as they try to keep up with thousands of daily threat alerts and attempt to manage disparate solutions to properly protect their organisation ’ s devices and data .
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