97 Things Every Information Security Professional Should Know

Chapter 87. Don’t Let the Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Leave Your Firm Vulnerable

Tim Maliyil

According to Gartner, there were over 3.5 million open and unfilled cybersecurity positions at the end of 2020. That means that several firms worldwide feel vulnerable to a cyberattack, and they need knowledgeable team members to protect them. The reality is that these positions will never be filled. The skills gap will not be resolved by recruiting new talent. Yes, all types of schools and programs prepare people for cybersecurity careers, but there is a big gap that even the most reputable educational institutions don’t fill.

It’s experience.

How do I get experience if nobody will hire me without experience? I am not referring to cybersecurity-related experience. I am referring to broad technology experience. Before becoming a cybersecurity professional, you need to have a background in creating software or being a network infrastructure manager. Someone going through cybersecurity training needs to find immediate relatability to the security principles presented. Otherwise, these professionals will only be able to regurgitate techniques and policies at best.

Here are some tips for filling your firm’s cybersecurity needs with your existing team:

Train your software engineers.

Software engineers create software to solve problems. That software eventually becomes a critical part of ...