Hiring entry- and junior-level employees in cybersecurity roles can help security leaders overcome the cyber skills gap, according to new research from (ISC)².

Companies and government entities across the U.S. are in hiring mode for cybersecurity professionals: the supply-demand ratio for cybersecurity workers nationwide is 66%, according to new CyberSeek data. 

The Institute of Pervasive Cybersecurity at Boise State University has introduced its Cyberdome initiative in partnership with Stellar Cyber, which aims to reduce rural cyber risk and expand the cybersecurity workforce in Idaho.

As the volume of ransomware payments and rise in ransomware attacks continue to increase, CISOs must adapt to the evolving threat landscape and focus on practical strategies to strengthen resiliency.

"You can't expect to have the best and brightest if you're only recruiting from 50% of the population. You have to recruit from 100% of the population and if you don't, you're not going to get the best and brightest," said CyberWarrior COO Jonathan Edwards. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) awarded CyberWarrior a grant to develop cyber workforce training for underserved populations.

The 2021 Cybersecurity Workforce Study from (ICS)² revealed global and national trends in the cybersecurity profession, with 700,000 professionals joining the industry since 2020.

On a mission to empower a more secure, interconnected world, the National Cyber Security Alliance has partnered with cybersecurity organizations to launch a resource initiative aimed at raising diversity and closing the cybersecurity talent gap.

As the light at the end of the tunnel becomes brighter, rethinking the hiring and onboarding process for security talent can be the difference between recovering out-of-work employees, getting them up to speed, and enduring unnecessary difficulties.

What the COVID-19 crisis is ultimately doing to the cybersecurity industry is shining a spotlight on the cybersecurity talent shortage. What is one of the only benefits of the critical issue, it's that it has allowed many in Northern Virginia to elevate and extend a slew of innovative measures that companies and region are implementing to combat the problem. As they set out to solve the industry talent shortage, Northern Virginia found the following strategies to be impactful steps in tandem toward a solution.