Skills gap analysis is a way to get a better understanding and picture of your teams, and just what they are capable of doing.
When it comes to your cybersecurity skills gap assessment, this is no different, and in today’s ever-changing and fast-paced world, having advanced skills in dealing with issues is more important than ever.
In this article, you will learn about what cybersecurity skills gap affects the marketplace, how to conduct a cybersecurity skills analysis, how to address the skills gap, and finally how to automate certain areas of your requirements, in order to maximise your team’s capabilities across the organisation.
There is a growing concern that we are not equipped to deal with a global individual skills gap in the cybersecurity sector, and the statistics aren’t alleviating the concerns. By 2025 we can see up to 3.5 million openings in the marketplace, meaning that there will be a lot of potential for cyber criminals to inflict greater damage to organisations and systems in the years to come.
The pandemic saw a mass upswing in cyber criminal activity with online transactions sky rocketing, thanks to many forced to stay at home or work from home scenarios. This opened the door to many of the cybersecurity risks that industry experts have been seeing for years including: ransomware, malware, cyber attacks and so on.
With more of us having to change the way we work and our behaviours switching to more internet-based living with the arrival of the Internet of Things, it means that the demand for cybersecurity professionals is set to increase; when there is already a massive shortage of talent. In the UK alone, a Government study found the UK’s cybersecurity recruitment pool has a shortfall of 10,000 people a year.
So what is this all pointing to? In short, cybersecurity is one of the most sought after tech skills in the UK and there aren’t enough people to fill the roles. It also points to the following:
There is a need for organisations to better understand what they have, in regards to their cybersecurity skills, and what they need more of. One of the best ways to do this is by carrying out a skills gap analysis.
A skills gap analysis is understanding what the gap between the set of talent required for a job, and the set of skills that a person actually possesses. A skills gap analysis is understanding what your organisation needs from a skill-based level in order to strategically execute plans for the future.
The method best prescribed for conducting a skills gap analysis is the following:
Once you have carried out the skills gap analysis, you need to ask what your organisation can do to fill the identified gaps. Luckily, there are some quick fixes and long-term solutions as well.
Without question, one of the biggest concerns is that thanks to the advanced and rapid pace of cyber attacks increasing, can security automation fill the cybersecurity skills gap?
Following interviews with 500 UK IT decision-makers, Trend Micro found that more than two-fifths (41%) believe that AI will replace their role by 2030. While many others believe that automation is actually causing the issues because of the speed of scriptwriting used to break into analysis systems in the first place.
The answer isn’t so simple. There is a lot to be said about pros and cons of skills gap analysis that many in the industry believe that automation can help deal with a wide range of tasks.
When it comes to running a successful business and the successful teams that lie inside of them, knowing what skills you have and don’t have is an essential component to success. One Government study found the UK’s cybersecurity recruitment pool has a shortfall of 10,000 people a year, and it is expected that there will be a shortage of 3.5 million people in cybersecurity roles by 2025.
Having the right people in place, with the right skills to carry out the roles, is essential to protect organisations and keep cybercriminals at bay. You do this by first analysing your skills gap requirements, and then implementing the right strategy for your organisation.
If you’re looking to protect your organisation or evaluate your cybersecurity requirements or challenges: Tel 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
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