The cybersecurity industry is in the midst of a skills crisis. With a cyberattack occurring approximately every 39 seconds, every business needs a well-trained staff to protect it. And there aren’t enough experts to go around. A recent survey shows that 70% of organizations believe the skills shortage has impacted them, and 45% think it has gotten worse over the years. Another global study predicted a terrifying shortage of 1.8 million security workers by 2022.
Why the gap? Several reasons are to blame, but it starts with a lack of training. Basic IT training doesn’t cover enough about security, leaving most individuals unequipped to respond to or detect security threats without a comprehensive education. The National Security Agency (NSA) has put a lot of effort into creating cybersecurity programs across several universities. However, less than half (42%) of the country’s top 50 computer science programs include security courses for undergraduates.