Dive Brief:

• With a predicted 1.8 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs projected by 2022, a new study from (ISC)2 suggests members of the industry will need to do a better job of self-promotion, outlining available openings and making the transition to cybersecurity easier for candidates if they wish to stay competitive, ComputerWeekly reports.
• The Global Information Security Workforce Study polled 19,000 cybersecurity professionals from around the world and found 66% of companies admit they do not currently have enough cybersecurity personnel on staff. The skill gap appears to be widening with an overall resistance to hiring candidates without direct experience, which is lacking in the marketplace.
• Nearly half of the survey respondents (46%) pointed to the lack of skilled cybersecurity workers as a contributing factor to the onset of data breaches in their organizations, with 22% responding that it can take 8 days to recover from such a breach.

Dive Insight:

The skills gap in hiring is rarely more prevalent that in emerging markets like tech. As more companies experience data breaches, or become aware of publicly devastating breaches to other companies, the competition in the industry becomes fierce, but the available talent pool is wanting.

For many companies who cannot compete financially with the largest players in the industry, the focus will be to enhance the skill set of those already in their employ with ongoing training and professional development. Some have even opted to rely on external help for that training. Once up to speed, employers will need to be vigilant in retaining those staff members who develop valuable, marketable skills.

With many traditional and online universities offering degree and certification programs in cybersecurity, the marketplace is poised to fill the gap in the future. In the interim, companies may want to look to industry associations for certified professionals who don’t currently hold a degree to meet their recruitment and security needs.