Trellix, the cybersecurity company delivering the future of extended detection and response (XDR), conducted new research into the talent shortage afflicting the cybersecurity industry. Among the key findings, 85% of those surveyed believe the workforce shortage is impacting their organizations’ abilities to secure increasingly complex information systems and networks. Of the current workforce, 30% plan to change professions in the future.
Bryan Palma, CEO of Trellix, said, “Our industry is already 2.72 million people short1. Cultivating and nurturing a cybersecurity workforce for our future requires expanding who we view as talent and changing our practices across the public and private sectors,” “Closing the cybersecurity talent gap is not only a business imperative, but important to national security and our daily lives. We need to remove barriers to entry, actively work to inspire people to do soulful work and ensure those in the field are retained.”
The findings are based on a Vanson Bourne survey, commissioned by Trellix, of 1,000 cybersecurity professionals in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the U.K and the U.S. across a variety of sectors.
More Education is Needed. As threats from nation-state actors and cybercriminals grow in volume and sophistication, the worldwide shortage of cybersecurity professionals grows as well. While some countries like Russia and China invest deeply in nurturing cybersecurity talent through state-funded education, many nations are without dedicated programs. Trellix sought to understand education levels and found over half (56%) believe that degrees aren’t needed for a successful career in cybersecurity. The survey also found:
- Support for development of skills (85%) and the pursuit of certifications (80%) were selected as highly or extremely important factors for the industry to expand the workforce.
- Employers could be doing more to encourage community mentoring programs with a presence in K-12 schools (94%).
- Areas most likely to attract people to cybersecurity included efforts to promote the soulfulness of cybersecurity careers (43%), encouragement of STEM students considering cybersecurity careers (41%), and more financial support for students in cybersecurity career paths (39%).
Cybersecurity is Soulful Work. The survey found the vast majority (94%) believe the role of those working in cybersecurity is greater now than ever before and a similar amount (92%) report cybersecurity as purposeful, soulful work that motivates them. However, cybersecurity professionals are hungry for recognition, with 36% noting they feel a lack of acknowledgement for the good done for society. Of those looking to leave the field, 12% say it is due to lack of feeling appreciated.
