The cybersecurity skills gap is not just persisting, but growing.
According to the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, there was an estimated shortage of 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide in 2022. The industry grew its workforce by 8.2% in 2023, but the gap now stands at over 4 million people.
Why it’s happening: Whether schools are not updating their curriculums or industry veterans are not upskilling, many workers are being made obsolete by the new threats AI presents. A big portion of the talent available can’t do what a cybersecurity pro needs to do in today’s industry.
- “I love a good firewall, but if you’re not keeping up with AI, you don’t know the full threat landscape and you’re not effective,” says Rupal Hollenbeck, president of global cybersecurity company Check Point.
What they’re saying: Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password, also cites a lack of experience at the senior levels, one made worse by burnout among cybersecurity leaders. That’s caused by a lack of support for cybersecurity teams, who have not been given the tools for the volume of threats and the challenge of protecting disparate, complex systems for hybrid work.
- According to Gartner, a quarter of cybersecurity leaders will leave their roles by 2025 due to job stress.
Why it matters: Unless the skills gap is closed, the near-daily reports of major hacks and security threats will only get worse. Cybercrime is expected to cost companies US$12 trillion next year, and Gartner predicts half of the most serious incidents will be due to a lack of talent.
Zoom out: Some major cybersecurity firms are taking things into their own hands. Fortinet runs programs to upskill workers and bring more diverse workers to the industry, things it will pursue at a soon-to-open hub in Calgary. Check Point works with schools to develop course resources and offer its own experts as lecturers — it recently added eight Canadian schools to its roster, including George Brown College, BC Institute of Technology, and University of Calgary.