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Global cybersecurity workforce grows, but still confronts shortfall of 4M people
Summary
The global cybersecurity workforce has grown 8.7% to 5.5 million people in 2023, but there is still a 4 million person shortfall in qualified workers. Three-quarters of industry professionals say the threat landscape is the most challenging they have seen in the last five years, and only 52% of professionals say their organization has enough tools and personnel to handle the level of cyber risk they expect. To fill the gap, the White House has launched a major effort to increase cybersecurity training, while economic uncertainty has caused some firms to freeze new hires or cut jobs.
Q&As
How many qualified workers are needed to adequately safeguard the world’s digital assets?
9.5 million qualified workers are needed to adequately safeguard the world’s digital assets.
What is the size of the global cybersecurity workforce in 2023?
The global cybersecurity workforce grew 8.7% to reach 5.5 million people in 2023.
What are the barriers to entry for aspiring professionals in the cybersecurity industry?
Aspiring professionals in the cybersecurity industry face barriers to entry such as lack of knowledge in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the rising use of cloud computing, as well as employers being unwilling to hire entry-level and junior-level workers and also being reluctant to hire based on non-technical skills.
What initiatives have been launched to fill the cybersecurity workforce gap?
The White House launched a major effort to fill the workforce gap as part of its national cybersecurity strategy, and the Biden administration has pushed efforts to increase cybersecurity training, especially for women and people of color.
How has the economic uncertainty in 2021 impacted the cybersecurity workforce?
Economic uncertainty in 2021 has caused many cybersecurity firms to freeze new hires or even slash jobs, with Dragos cutting 9% of its workforce and SentinelOne cutting 5% of its workforce.
AI Comments
👍 The global cybersecurity workforce grew 8.7% to reach 5.5 million people in 2023, showing that the industry is continuing to expand and invest in its workforce despite the skills gap.
👎 Despite the increasing number of professionals, the industry still confronts a record gap of 4 million industry professionals, demonstrating that the industry is still struggling to fill the necessary positions to adequately safeguard digital assets.
AI Discussion
Me: It's about the global cybersecurity workforce and how it's grown significantly, but there's still a shortfall of 4 million people. It's a major problem and the White House is launching an effort to fill the workforce gap.
Friend: Wow, that's a huge problem. It sounds like the industry needs to invest in training and education to make sure they have enough qualified workers.
Me: Absolutely. The article also mentions that many young professionals lack the skills to compete for emerging technology roles like AI and cloud computing. So, employers need to focus on developing and hiring entry-level and junior-level workers with the right skills. And they should also consider hiring based on non-technical skills to help diversify the workforce.
Action items
- Research and apply for cybersecurity jobs that match your skillset and experience.
- Take advantage of the White House's national cybersecurity training initiatives, especially for women and people of color.
- Consider taking courses or certifications to increase your knowledge in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Technical terms
- ISC2
- International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, a nonprofit organization that provides certifications and training for cybersecurity professionals.
- Threat Landscape
- The current state of cyber threats, including the types of threats, the actors behind them, and the potential impact of those threats.
- AI
- Artificial Intelligence, a type of technology that uses algorithms to automate tasks and make decisions.
- Cloud Computing
- A type of computing that uses remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data.
- White House
- The executive branch of the United States government.
- Biden Administration
- The current administration of President Joe Biden.
- Dragos
- A cybersecurity company.
- SentinelOne
- A cybersecurity company.