The cybersecurity sector is going through a growing crisis of qualified professionals. Indeed, far from reducing the shortage of cybersecurity professionals has increased in 2022. Last year, 2.72 million of these professionals were missing to protect online assets, but in 2022 this gap has grown.
Now 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals are missing. This is reflected in the (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study report, based on a survey of 12,000 cybersecurity professionals. The gap, therefore, has grown by 26.6% in one year, and everything indicates that it will continue to grow.
The report has also highlighted that 72% of organizations expect their team to grow at least a little, or significantly, over the coming year, in line with the general trend of growth in hiring, which can reach 11%.
Of course, although the lack of qualified professionals is the main cause for the deficit between supply and demand for cybersecurity positions (43%), it is by no means the only problem in the sector. (ISC)2 has also cited low wages, lack of budget, lack of promotion opportunities, insufficient training, burned-out workers, or working conditions and culture as other major issues.
The (ISC)2 CEO, Clar Rossohave pointed out that the problem is due in part to cybersecurity leaving behind the pause and slowdown in hiring that the sector experienced in 2020 and 2021, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rosso recalled that although they saw «Increasing the gap during the peak of the pandemic, most countries are now further along in their post-pandemic recoveries and continuing to digitally transform across various front-facing and behind-the-scenes functions. Hiring and headcount expansion has rebounded in several sectors post-pandemic as a result, including cybersecurity, leading to growth in active headcount as well as growth in unmet demand for cybersecurity experts. It is also invigorating, as the egg demonstrates an increased perception that organizations have of the value of cybersecurity in their operations. That the templates have grown by 11% (about 464,000), is a reason for celebration. Adding nearly half a million people to the active workforce is a significant investment in cybersecurity and defense«.
