"Cybersecurity Workforce Is Growing, But Worldwide Workforce Gap of 3.4 Million Continues to Present Problems"
According to the annual (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, more cybersecurity professionals are working than ever, but the field is still far from being fully staffed. Despite a record 4.7 million cybersecurity professionals working worldwide, there is still a 3.4 million cybersecurity workforce gap that growth will not close in the next few years. Over 11,700 industry employees and hiring decision-makers worldwide participated in the Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Since last year, the cybersecurity workforce has grown by slightly more than 11 percent, with 464,000 more positions filled. Most regions experienced 12 percent to 15 percent hiring growth, with Asia-Pacific leading the way at 15.6 percent. North America followed with only 6.2 percent growth. Australia and South Korea struggled to keep up. Individual countries have outperformed, with the Netherlands (64.3 percent) and Japan (40.4 percent) experiencing significant growth. Only Germany and Singapore saw an increase in the number of vacant positions. At first glance, this appears to be good news for employers, but demand is still outpacing growth, causing the international workforce gap to grow at a little more than double the rate at which positions have been filled (a 26.2 percent year-over-year increase). Asia-Pacific was again a leader among regions, offsetting the hiring rush with a 52 percent increase in demand. Latin America was the only region where demand fell. In just one year, demand in India has increased by 630 percent, while demand in France has increased by 120.6 percent, and in numerous other countries, there have been increases from 55 percent to 75 percent. Individual industries are experiencing unique challenges in attracting enough cybersecurity workers, with government agencies, aerospace, education, insurance, and transportation reporting the greatest shortages. In addition, 70 percent of respondents across all industries believe that their organization's cybersecurity program is understaffed. Due to a lack of personnel, 50 percent of those polled believed their organization was at "moderate" or "extreme" risk of a cyberattack. This article continues to discuss key findings from the 2022 (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study.