Cybersecurity has always been an important element of business operations. However, organizations never gave it the due attention it deserved until now when the cost due to cyber-attacks has been increasing steadily.

Currently, cyber-crimes are at their peak, costing huge organizations. Talking only about data breaches, it costs organizations an average of $4.88 million for each data breach incident in 2024 (as reported by IBM Data Breach Report 2024). And of the biggest factors leading to the increased number of data breaches is phishing attack, which accounts for 15% of all data breach incidents, says the same report.

This is because of less secure organizations and unaware employees, and this highlights the increased importance of skilled cybersecurity professionals for any organization and the impact it can have because of a shortage of skills.

Let us try to understand the shortage of cybersecurity skills, the reason behind it, and its implications on organizations.

Overview of increasing cyber threats

Every business, individual, organization, and government is heavily reliant on digital means and is highly driven by the world of interconnectedness. Organizations are readily adopting cloud technologies, the latest AI tools, and other digital infrastructure to speed up their business operations.

This increased reliance has led to increased cyber threats, but organizations have failed to meet the required cybersecurity workforce to handle this increasing threat. So, currently, the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals has also skyrocketed. This, in turn, has led to a significant cybersecurity skill gap, posing greater risk to businesses around the globe.

Increasing Cybersecurity Skill Gap

With rapid growth in demand for cybersecurity professionals, there is an acute shortage of skilled cybersecurity workforce. We can say the career opportunities in this field are huge. If you are planning to make a career in cybersecurity, then it is the right time to invest in yourself. Learn the latest cybersecurity skills, validate your expertise with top cybersecurity certifications, and join to global cybersecurity workforce.

But first, let us explore the reason leading to greater cybersecurity skill gap now:

1. Rapid advancement in technology

Currently, the technology is advancing rapidly, and we can see a rise in cloud computing, IoT devices, AI, etc. These technologies have given rise to new vulnerabilities and require specialized skills to protect against them.

2. Cyber-attacks becoming more innovative and sophisticated

Today, cybercriminals employ highly advanced and innovative ways to carry out their attacks. They target the critical infrastructure, sensitive data, and systems. Old and traditional ways are inefficient to protect against these advanced tactics.

3. Lack of proper training and awareness programs

As mentioned earlier, phishing attacks are among the major causes leading to data breaches. This is because of proper training and awareness program. Still, several organizations do not pay proper attention to cybersecurity measures and do not invest in cybersecurity skills and tools.

Apart from these, there is a huge competition among top organizations to hire the best available cybersecurity professionals from a limited pool of talent. Therefore, it has led to increase in salaries, making it difficult to hire and retain skilled individuals.

How Does Skill Gap Impact Organizations

Here are some major risks that can be directly attributed to shortage of cybersecurity skills, and its impact can be felt across all sorts of organizations of all sizes and industries.

• Data breaches – lack of awareness and lack of skilled professionals can increase the chances of data breach
• Disrupting operations – without necessary cybersecurity professionals, it will become difficult to respond to incidents effectively, causing disrupted business operations.
• Competitive disadvantage – customers trust organizations that are safe and can protect their data and assets. Therefore, lack of skilled cybersecurity professionals can also lead to competitive disadvantage.

How to Minimize Cybersecurity Skill Gap

Organizations can take following steps to minimize cybersecurity skill crisis and enhance their overall security measures:

1. Invest in training and upskilling their existing employees
2. United States Cybersecurity Institute (USCSI®) provides the most powerful and latest  cybersecurity certifications to learn the latest cybersecurity skills, tools, and techniques
3. Recruit and retain cybersecurity leaders to plan, strategize, and execute effective cybersecurity steps.
4. Collaborate with other organizations providing cybersecurity services
5. Invest in automation and streamline routine cybersecurity tasks
6. Use of the latest AI and ML technology to detect and respond to threats automatically.
7. Comply with the latest cybersecurity frameworks and security regulations.

Following these steps can minimize the impact of cybersecurity skill shortage and enhance the overall cybersecurity efforts of the organization.

Conclusion

The cybersecurity skill crisis is a major challenge to businesses, which can be subdued over time only. However, by following simple steps and taking one step at a time, organizations can drastically enhance their overall security posture. There will be a long time required to balance the demand and supply of cybersecurity professionals. Till then, organizations can focus on partnering with educational institutes and professional bodies to upskill their workforce, collaborate with cybersecurity solutions providers, and invest small and steadily in cybersecurity solutions. This will help them stay safe and secure in the world of evolving cyber threats.