If you’ve got your finger on the pulse of digital recruitment, you’ll know that the cybersecurity workforce shortage is a serious issue. Skills gaps are putting organizations at risk as increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks place a growing burden on already stretched cybersecurity teams. At least four million cybersecurity roles remain unfilled, while rates of cybercrime continue to soar.
Cybersecurity workforce development is one solution, but there could be another: investing in tech-savvy leaders who instill the importance of cybersecurity at all levels of their organization.
Current Cybersecurity Workforce Landscape
Cybersecurity skills gaps continue to be problematic. Different sources give different figures for the size of the talent gap, but it’s at least four million, with USA-based organizations attempting to recruit over half a million new cybersecurity professionals in the last 12 months.
Challenges include rapidly advancing technologies, such as AI, and economic uncertainties that mean candidates are less likely to look for something new. Businesses may simply not have the budget to attract and retain top talent who can demand high salaries.
The Leadership Bottleneck
Cybersecurity talent acquisition has to be a top priority for leaders across all industries, yet some leaders are failing to take the right actions to bring cybersecurity talent to their organization. They’re creating a bottleneck — even where candidates are available, poor leadership is causing them to apply elsewhere.
Just look at some of these figures:
- Only 23% of organizations consider recruiting cyber talent without traditional degrees or credentials
- At least 24% think cybersecurity specialists should upskill themselves, offering no support or development
- Apprenticeship programs — offering on-the-job training — are only offered by 24% of companies
- Some employers are still ignoring candidates from underrepresented groups — just 25% of the global cybersecurity workforce is women, and the figure is lower for non-white women
- Organizations are failing to recognize provisional certifications
Organizational leaders who fail to address these issues could be creating their own internal security risks by driving away skilled talent.
Consequences of Leadership Deficiencies
Turning talent away isn’t the only issue. In cybersecurity, leadership challenges range from employing executives with zero tech experience to tech experts with minimal leadership skills. We recently discussed the importance of prioritizing tech fluency as a C-suite imperative. Cybersecurity workforce management requires leaders who understand the foundational concepts of the work their teams do. Similarly, tech leaders must have relevant leadership skills as well as technical know-how.
Without this balance, organizations are at a much higher risk of data breaches and attacks. Research shows that 58% of cyber professionals believe that skills gaps place organizations at significant risk of cyberattack, while firms with significant cyber talent gaps are twice as likely to fall victim. Leaders not taking the right steps to address these skills gaps are effectively putting their entire organization at risk. This impacts overall morale and places existing cyber professionals under unreasonable amounts of pressure.
Strategies for Leadership Improvement
Cybersecurity leadership development can start with internal leadership development programs. Rather than hiring from untested talent pools, coaching and developing existing, loyal employees could create highly invested leaders with the know-how to quickly assess where more resources or personnel are required.
Investing in leadership development programs is more effective when organizations focus on formal training and transferable, strategic skills and certifications.
Key cybersecurity leadership skills should include:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Cybersecurity-specific skills
- Inclusivity
- Strategic planning
- Adaptability
Leaders should also be encouraged to be open to new ways of hiring. Cybersecurity leaders who sign off on social media-based hiring techniques, partnering with educational institutions, and working with specialist recruitment partners could ensure their organization stays secure while edging ahead of competitors.
Cybersecurity Leadership Development and Recruitment: Unlocking Success
Are you working on your cybersecurity workforce strategy? Investing in the right tech leadership team could be your first critical step. When leaders understand the importance of building, developing, and supporting a thriving cybersecurity workforce, it makes the whole organization more security aware — and could encourage competing organizations to change their approach to cyber hiring.
Connect with MRINetwork and work with expert talent solutions specialists to upgrade your cybersecurity professional hiring strategy.
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