A quick look at the figures shows why the cyber skills shortage is so bad for business — in the UK the average cost of a data breach has grown to nearly £2.7 million, according to a recent IBM study.
Not only that, the majority of organisations are unprepared to respond to cyber security incidents properly. In fact, 77% of respondents said they don’t have a cyber security incident response plan applied consistently across the enterprise, according to the study.
While the acknowledged cyber skills shortage is part of the reason for this, another part is the fact that many employers expect to hire cyber security professionals possessing the knowledge and skills to cover all threats, as well as the latest technology and solutions.
But the unfortunate reality is that no individual can be an expert in all areas concerning cyber security as the landscape is constantly changing, and it is extremely diverse. So how can the cyber skills gap be overcome?
Cyber security and IoT: skills shortage hampering development
Finding the right approach
To keep their businesses secure, CEOs need access to the right types of cyber security skills and advice. This entails ensuring the right people are hired to support their strategy and provide the right guidance and advice, whether that’s in-house or working with an external consultant.
It’s all about gaining an overall view in order to make informed decisions around risk management, dealing with the potential consequences and balancing that with the growth of the business.
In order to find the best people to do this, more organisations have started adopting an outsourced approach to cyber security. They engage independent consultants to help them plug the gap and work with them to identify, hire and train the best candidates.
Focus on nurturing talent
Searching for someone that ticks all the boxes means that talented individuals are often overlooked, so instead businesses should focus on identifying talented individuals with a passion for cyber security and invest in training them up.
If they don’t have the in-house expertise or knowledge to do so, they should consider the option of taking on independent professional service teams to work alongside them to help build their teams and up-skill staff.
