Cyber expertise is in high demand as more organizations look to address cybersecurity issues, but there is currently a shortage of professionals to complete these jobs. A survey conducted by cybersecurity nonprofit (ISC)2 found that there were only enough cybersecurity employees to fill about 60 percent of the current demand in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., the gap between available workforce and demand is even higher. (ISC)2 reported that the cybersecurity workforce needs to increase by 145% to fill the global demand. Roughly half of the organizations surveyed by (ISC)2 reported that they plan to increase budgets for security training with the intention to increase the digital security workforce.
This talent gap has grown immensely over the past year, from 2.93 million unfilled digital security positions in 2018 to 4.07 million in 2019. Although almost every sector is experiencing a lack of cybersecurity professionals, the U.S. government may be the most affected, as they have difficulty attracting digital expertise due to salary caps and career paths within the government. (ISC)2 concluded the survey report with several strategies for organizations to fill vacant digital expertise positions.
Read More: Report: Cyber Workforce Must Grow 145% to Meet Global Demand
