Global Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Intensifies During COVID-19
The global cybersecurity talent shortage was already severe, and COVID-19 has further widened the gap.
The most recent data from the National Center of Education Statistics indicates that among college graduates, only 3% earned a degree in cybersecurity and related fields. And of those grads, not all are equipped to meet the needs of businesses right away.
The onset of COVID-19 is impacting students’ abilities to meet with mentors, have hands-on experiences and successful internships. So the question is, will the global cybersecurity talent shortage continue to grow in a time where we need more cyber experts than ever before?
To find out more about the global cybersecurity talent shortage, we spoke with Don Closser, IronNet‘s chief product officer. IronNet provides collective defense and network behavioral analysis.
Channel Futures: Why have the pandemic and ensuing economic downturn accelerated the global cybersecurity talent shortage?
Don Closser: I don’t think the COVID-19 pandemic has necessarily accelerated the talent shortage; if anything, it is highlighting the reality that a number of existing security solutions are heavy hardware deployments that are not easily deployable, and are now no longer easily accessible due to remote environments. The pandemic is shifting and expanding the responsibilities of cybersecurity professionals, and in response, the industry really needs cyber talent that is able to deploy from a remote location. This has inevitably increased the demand for SaaS-based solutions. In its place, we have this new reliance on vendors to augment via professional services for deployment, which widens the gap not just for security talent, but also security tools themselves. To address this challenge, there needs to be increased visibility built in tools to help navigate through this pandemic.
CF: Is there even more of a need for cybersecurity talent because of the impact of the pandemic? If so, can you give some examples of why?
DC: The pandemic has definitely put an emphasis on the cybersecurity talent gap. The boundary has expanded, and now there is an added consideration and concern for remote work. Most companies were not prepared to support a fully remote workforce at the onset of the pandemic due to their existing infrastructure, and internal processes and procedures, or lack thereof. The way that companies have to defend infrastructure has changed drastically as we’ve shifted to VPNs to safely work remotely, posing a significant challenge as they navigate through this already difficult time.
CF: What can be done to attract more people to cybersecurity careers?
DC: Why would anyone want to do anything but cybersecurity? In all seriousness, it really comes down to the educational component. Educating the next generation on cybersecurity is paramount to attract top talent. Aside from working with universities to develop a strong curriculum, educating students as young as grade school will instill awareness and hopefully a passion at an early age. Technology has radically changed and is still constantly evolving. So we need to guide the younger generations on this path. The fact that cybersecurity is a very remote-friendly career is …