Today, cyber breaches cost the U.S. more than $100 billion a year. While organizations are actively procuring new cybersecurity technology, they’re not investing enough in people, skills and talent. And according to ISACA, a non-profit information security advocacy group, a global shortage of two million cybersecurity professionals is expected by 2019.
A cybersecurity career can offer transitioning veterans a chance to meaningful employment, and that field is experiencing a remarkable shortfall that presents organizations with a challenge to find trustworthy qualified applicants.
For years we’ve talked about the dearth of skilled cybersecurity professionals which ISACA reports is now estimated to reach two million by 2019. Encouraging more individuals to pursue technical and engineering degrees can help address the shortage. But we can also expand the talent pool by thinking more broadly about cybersecurity and what it takes to be an expert.
When it comes to the cybersecurity talent shortage, an already troublesome situation is getting worse: The shortage is expected to grow to 1.8 million employees by 2022, which is 20 percent greater than a forecast from 2015, according to the 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study.
The military has produced many incredible leaders and accomplished business people who have made many noteworthy and life-changing contributions to corporate America. These individuals took what they learned in the military with them into civilian life and their corporate careers.
Cybersecurity talent investment has gone through the roof in recent years: Universities are announcing cybersecurity degrees programs, Facebook is open sourcing its Capture the Flag competition platform that teaches developers about cybersecurity, Cisco has launched a $10 million scholarship to tackle the cybersecurity talent shortage and more. Yet, it’s still not enough.
All colleges and universities have been ramping up their cybersecurity efforts during the past decade, but where do the trained professionals to meet their needs – and those of other industries – earn their credentials? Regent University has started providing an answer to that question during the past couple of years by building a state of the art “cyber range” on its Virginia Beach campus.
Research from Glassdoor found that 57 percent of people said benefits and perks are among their top considerations before accepting a job, and four in five workers say they would prefer new benefits over a pay raise.
