Security

What Will It Take to Close the Cybersecurity Talent Gap? [#Infographic]

Security talent is in high demand, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Juliet is the senior web editor for StateTech and HealthTech magazines. In her six years as a journalist she has covered everything from aerospace to indie music reviews — but she is unfailingly partial to covering technology.

Cybersecurity is top of mind for organizations everywhere, yet the talent pool to fill these much-needed positions just isn’t there. In fact, according to a 2017 survey by ISACA’s Cybersecurity Nexus, only 13 percent of organizations surveyed received more than 20 applications for cybersecurity job openings. The majority (59 percent) received about five applications per open position.

“Though the field of cybersecurity is still relatively young, demand continues to skyrocket and will only continue to grow in the coming years,” Christos Dimitriadis, ISACA board chair, said in a statement. “As enterprises invest more resources to protect data, the challenge they face is finding top-flight security practitioners who have the skills needed to do the job. When positions go unfilled, organizations have a higher exposure to potential cyberattacks. It’s a race against the clock.”

In response to the talent shortage, everyone from major tech companies to community colleges are setting out to train students in this highly coveted skillset.

Check out the infographic below from Purdue University Global to learn more about the cybersecurity skills shortage, what it means for business security and how companies can join the fight against the dearth of talent.

VIDEO: Learn how executives tackle the cybersecurity skills shortage!