The cyber security skills gap has long been a major concern in the industry, and the conversation has become more urgent than ever. And before industry leaders can even begin developing solutions, it is necessary to examine the problem in its entirety.
There is an increasing need for expanding cyber capabilities worldwide. Given long-term digitisation trends and the deluge of cyber-attacks in the last decade, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, skilled workers are more important than ever. And it’s not just the large corporations that need their expertise—even small businesses with limited resources have now become targets of cyber attacks.
Many organisations previously lacked an information security role but now have one or are in the process of establishing one. Years ago, businesses had no idea what a pen test was, but now they conduct them daily.
More cyber security analysts, managers, testers, and developers are needed, and training programs all over the world are having difficulty keeping up with the demand and diversity of crucial positions.
Cyber Security for Large Enterprises
Large enterprises respond to the rising cyber security crisis by scaling up and restructuring old operational procedures and perpetuating a mindset that believes all cyber security problems require different technologies.
This is fueled by a plethora of tech suppliers and large consultancies and the fact that many Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are engineers by background and go from job to job, bringing the same technological formulas with them.
Cyber Security Automation as A Response to the Skills Gap
This has resulted in a profusion of poorly integrated and partially executed technologies that merely embed manual procedures inside operational security processes in major companies. Because of this, it places significant strain on the personnel and the company’s resources. This existing system is potentially debilitating, especially for many entry-level cyber security tasks, resulting in redundant occupations with few opportunities for advancement.
Attracting and educating more individuals is critical to closing the cyber security skills gap. However, you can’t retain them in the industry if the entry-level roles have no promising prospects. This will then turn into an endless cycle that will plague companies for decades.
The cyber security industry must boost automation ventures and tool integration and focus on restructuring old tooling landscapes and streamlining operational processes to break this cycle. By giving more analysts more varied duties to develop their skills and bring additional value, you can emphasise increasing long-term efforts around training at all levels.
Cyber Security Skills Gap Solutions
It is indeed more challenging for CISOs than just employing more people. However, rushing to AI-driven solutions, especially if they’re still in the progress of maturing, is not the perfect solution. More than ever, keeping things simple and focusing on people and processes first, then technology, are the keys to a promising automation initiative in cyber security.
It is critical to consider the skills gap in all of its aspects before beginning to develop remedies. It’s best to ensure a vast field for career advancement for cyber security professionals and utilise cyber security automation in moderation.
As a leading digital brand protection company, FraudWatch has been protecting client brands worldwide since 2003. We are leaders in online brand protection from phishing, malware, social media, and mobile apps impersonation. If you need cyber security and brand protection assistance in any way, our experts are here to help.