5 Ways to Close the Labor Gap in Cybersecurity

At a glance

• Job security growing pains: With the increase of daily cyberattacks, cybersecurity jobs have become more challenging as pressure and demands rise.
• Root of the issue: Technology professionals are in the driver’s seat and are seeking remote opportunities with more flexibility.
• Next steps: Organizations need to modernize their working models and perks to keep and attract top talent. Aprio’s Digital Information and Cybersecurity Advisory Services has the expertise you need to stay ahead.

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The full story:

In 2020, there was a massive shift to everyone’s daily life as working remotely was no longer an added job perk, but a reality for nearly every industry. As the world adapts to a new way of working, the sheer volume of daily cyberattacksgrows.

Cybersecurity is facing a major crisis as the looming labor shortage is putting organizations at risk of being unprepared to handle cyberattacks. Technology professionals are overworked and struggling with the demands to keep organizations secure. IT teams face unprecedented challenges as the world is expected to have 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by the end of 2021 and a similarly large number of unfilled positions over the next five years. ¹ 

What can organizations do to overcome the labor shortage?

This past year we’ve seen technology professionals pushed to the limits. To move forward and overcome the labor shortage, companies need to realign their working models and focus intently on the employee. By evaluating what you’re doing well and where you can improve as it relates to the employee experience will not only help you attract top talent but will also help you retain your current employees. Here are a few steps to make you stand out amongst the competition:

1. Update work benefits to include flexible hours, remote work and well-being programs.

Flexibility and remote work are key! The industry is not your typical nine-to-five job as anything can go wrong at any time. By breaking down the barrier of your standard “office” hours and where someone sits in the world opens your business up to a larger pool of candidates.

2. Outline a clear and proven career path for each position with competitive compensation.

Career development is critical to retain employees. Map out a clear career path for your roles and departments not only gives employees a goal to work towards, but it also builds a sense of loyalty for your business and increases productivity. Additionally, outlining career paths is an excellent tool to use for recruitment.

3. Invest in current employees to provide education and cross-train in roles you need filled.

Encouraging skill development opportunities through one-on-one coaching, in-house training sessions and job shadowing are just a few ways to provide continuing education to your employees. More than likely, you have a team of talented driven professionals who are eager to learn new skills.

4. Leverage technology advancements and outsource resources to increase efficacy.

Using automation, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to take on the more manual processes that are tedious and slow will allow your employees to focus on higher-value activities. In addition, you should find good partners who have access to the skills you may otherwise not be able to staff directly.

5. Develop partnerships with higher education and industry-related organizations.

From internships to guest speaking events, you never know who you will run across that may be interested in your business or know someone who could be a potential candidate. There is a wealth of community organizations associated with information security groups and the benefits of engaging in those groups could be worth your time.

The bottom line

Cybersecurity as an industry is thriving, but at the cost of burnt-out employees. Companies need to be able to adapt quickly by evolving and developing new solutions to stay ahead of surging cyberattacks. To attract and retain talent, you need to build a holistic strategy. Aprio’s Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Advisory Services team is here to evaluate how to make your team more effective, balance out your resource pool, leverage current technology to increase your team’s efficiency and build a team based on today’s market conditions.

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