Seven startling stats on the cybersecurity skills shortage

As security operations centers (SOCs) deal with an increasing volume of alerts and successful breaches, efficient cyber security case management becomes increasingly critical. But the old strategy of simply adding staffers to a security team is no longer feasible, largely because the talent is simply unavailable.

Indeed, there is perhaps no greater obstacle facing CIOs and CISOs today than the widening security skills gap. Just how severe is the cybersecurity talent shortage? Let’s take a look some numbers:

1. 44 percent of organizations are short on staff with strong cyber security and networking knowledge—ESG, “Network Security Trends in the Era of Cloud and Mobile Computing”

2. 35 percent of organizations are unable to fill open security jobs, despite the fact that 82 percent expect to be attacked this year—ISACA and RSA, “State of Cybersecurity: Implications for 2015”

3. The demand for information security analysts will grow 37 percent from 2012-2022—S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

4. Between 2007 and 2013, postings for cyber security jobs rose 74 percent, more than twice the rate of IT jobs as a whole—Burning Glass, “Job Market Intelligence: Report on the Growth of Cybersecurity Jobs”

5. By 2017, there will be a shortage of 2 million cyber security jobs worldwide—UK House of Lords, Digital Skills Committee

6. The average senior security analyst in the US makes $103,226, more than double the national average—Glassdoor.com

7. 64 percent of high school students in the U.S. do not have access to computer science classes or other classes that would help prepare them for a career in cyber security—Raytheon and National Cyber Security Alliance, “Preparing Millennials to Lead in Cyber Space.”

If you are struggling to identify and hire qualified information security professionals, part of the solution may lie in adopting a security automation solution. Start learning today about how such a tool can help transform your organization’s SOC.