Cybersecurity workforce must grow 145% to close talent gap

To fill the talent gap for cybersecurity experts, the cybersecurity workforce would need to grow 145%, according to (ISC)², a membership association for cybersecurity professionals. The 2019 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study estimated that an additional 4.07 million trained professionals will be needed. The study showed that 65% of companies reported a cybersecurity staff shortage, and for 36% of respondents, the lack of skilled cybersecurity specialists was their top concern. Among cybersecurity specialists, two-thirds said they’re either somewhat or very satisfied in their jobs, and another two-thirds said they plan to remain in the field for the rest of their career. Demographically, women in the study accounted for 30% of cybersecurity professionals, 23% of whom had IT security job titles; more than a third of respondents were below age 35; and 5% were below age 25. Top recruiting sources included recent college graduates, consultants and contractors, other departments within a company, vendors of security/hardware and career switchers.