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Cybersecurity professionals are leaving their posts at a time when their skills are more critical than ever before. But why is this happening and what can organisations do about it?
According to new research, almost a third of cybersecurity professionals are planning on quitting the industry, and this could spell disaster for businesses already struggling to keep their digital defences in place and up to date.
The cyberthreat landscape is evolving at an alarming rate, and organisations need all the expertise and support they can get to stay ahead of hackers. So why are cybersecurity professionals leaving their post, and what can you do to protect your assets?
In a recent survey of 1,000 cybersecurity professionals around the world it was found that 30% have plans to change professions within the next two or three years. As cybersecurity skills shortages are already a problem, this could make it very difficult for businesses to protect themselves from breaches and other threats.
What’s more, 85% of organisations report that workforce shortages are impacting their ability to secure their IT systems and networks, while cyberattacks are growing in both “volume and sophistication”.
So why are professionals leaving their posts? The survey found that, for many, it’s because they feel underappreciated and unable to advance in their roles. Some of the most common reasons were a lack of clear career path (35%), a lack of social recognition (31%) and limited support to develop their skills (25%). Others stated that they had accomplished everything they wanted to do in their roles, that they felt burnt out, and that they weren’t satisfied with their salaries.
The results of the survey have highlighted the changes that need to be made within the cybersecurity sector to benefit both its workers and the businesses who rely on its expertise. 94% of cybersecurity professionals feel that their employers could be doing more to encourage community mentoring programs. Moreover, efforts to promote cybersecurity careers (43%), encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM (41%), and provide more funding (39%) were listed as the top ways to attract more people into cybersecurity jobs.
The survey also highlighted a need to diversify the cybersecurity industry, as of those surveyed, 78% were male, 64% were white and 89% were heterosexual. 91% of respondents recognised the need to grow the cybersecurity talent pool, and 94% felt that their employers could be doing more to seek out employees from non-traditional cybersecurity backgrounds.
The numerous issues within the industry itself have created a ripple effect for the businesses relying on cybersecurity services to stay protected against a growing threat landscape. According to Carbon Black, 88% of UK companies have suffered a data breach in the last 12 months.
There are many challenges facing businesses right now when it comes to cybersecurity, especially as they struggle to find the expertise they need to protect their asset. Finding the right expertise is made more difficult at board level in organisations where there is little or no pre-existing information security expertise on hand to differentiate between a strong candidate and a weak one.
But if your organisation is suffering from a lack of expertise or your existing CISO is crying out for additional resource, help is at hand. Thanks to our VirtualCISO and VirtualISM solutions at SRM, we can help you to plug in the expertise you need to sure up gaps in your team through a flexible, high-quality service that provides genuine value for money.
Get in touch with the SRM team today to find out how we can help you bolster your business defences and avoid a data disaster.
