Cybersecurity Consultant Services for Companies

As ransomware attacks, nation-state hacking campaigns, data breaches, and other cyber threats dominate the news, one item remains largely unreported: The growing need for cybersecurity professionals to fill more than 400,000 open positions across the U.S. private sector.

At this point, it is well-known that there are more cybersecurity positions than workers who can fill them. New industry statistics and a series of high-profile attacks have shed light on this talent gap, however.

Cyber Seek stats show that cybersecurity analysts, cybersecurity managers or administrators, cybersecurity consultants, network engineers or architects, and systems engineers are among the top-demand titles and positions right now. Among those with certifications, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is the most sought-after.

Security professionals are in such demand, especially for those with skills or those looking to retrain, that the White House highlighted cybersecurity jobs as one of the core tenants of the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan.

The American Jobs Plan will build on that progress and deliver resilient infrastructure for the American people, including a renewed electric grid. According to a White House fact sheet published in May, “cybersecurity is a core element of resilience and building the infrastructure of the future.”

A reason that private companies have had difficulty finding enough cybersecurity professionals is that job demands are constantly changing. With the COVID-19 pandemic providing the opportunity to work anywhere, the situation has become even more challenging.

As threats continue to evolve and grow in number, there will always be an insufficient supply of cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity professionals typically specialized in particular fields or technologies. To be successful in the role today, a person needs both business and technology experience. The constant evolution of threats requires cybersecurity professionals to be able to adapt quickly. Such professionals are scarce.

Companies are under pressure from cyberthreats

The number of open positions in the security field is high. Because cybersecurity has become a major risk management concern for companies. An attack on SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, and, more recently, meat processing giant JBS, has demonstrated that a ransomware incident or nation-state hacking attempt can result in significant disruption for any business, regardless of its industry.

Approximately 66 percent of the CISOs surveyed said that their organization was not prepared to handle a cyberattack. Furthermore, 58 percent of respondents said their jobs have become more challenging since they began working from home.

As a result, the security industry is booming. And there is an urgent need for talented individuals to create and develop products and solutions. This will assist companies in staying ahead of cybercriminals. Despite this, it has been challenging to fill these roles due to a shortage of available workers. There is no simple solution to this talent deficit. But an investment in education and training by the private sector and the government, along with a focus on diversity aimed at recruiting women and minorities. It will help bridge the employment gap.

Even though there are job openings, not everyone is convinced of the shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals. This is due to increased awareness of security issues. Schools do not adequately prepare students for their future careers.

While there is a significant amount of work and job security for cybersecurity professionals will not go away. These open positions indicate that higher education and community colleges are not doing enough to prepare students. The industry is not doing what it needs to do to foster talented individuals and get people in the door without requiring excess upfront costs and time from potential employees.

Consider changing your hiring criteria and developing talent in-house.

Another appealing option is to assemble a team of experts from other disciplines, including system administrators, programmers, database specialists, and help desk professionals. There might be some adjustments to degree requirements, certifications, and/or other job requirements. But hiring best home security systems  passionate achievers with most of the necessary skills will still be possible. To attract interns and students in a win-win situation, establish partnerships with local community colleges and universities.

Hiring and Retaining Cybersecurity Talent: A Practical Guide

Companies need to do more to attract cybersecurity talent, which means going beyond advertising for technologists with certain certifications.

Companies need to focus on the following four areas:

• Cybersecurity careers branding:

Cybersecurity careers are perceived as “uncool” and need to be positioned to compete against jobs in software development, artificial intelligence, and data science at companies like Amazon.

• Find out how to recruit Generation Z:

As this generation is entering the workforce, companies need to understand what is important to them, such as flexible hours, work-from-anywhere, and social causes.

• Upskill your current employees:

Training and career development are important to retain current talented workers. An employer with a clearly defined program will also be able to recruit better.

• Education is an investment:

By teaching cybersecurity in schools, future professionals will be able to better understand the opportunities available to them.

The core of this issue is that there are not enough skilled workers for the positions available. Although computer science is a growing major in colleges, only a small percentage of graduates go into cybersecurity.