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In their recent survey, Fortinet has uncovered the continuous struggles of organisations worldwide related to a need for more qualified cybersecurity professionals.
1,800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers from 29 unique locations spanning multiple sectors, such as technology, manufacturing, and financial services, participated in the survey.
According to Fortinet’s 2023 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, the global cybersecurity workforce faces a daunting deficit of 3.4 million professionals. What’s more, organisations experiencing five or more breaches have increased by an astonishing 53% over the 2021-2022 period – leaving those in charge of security with mountains of threat alerts and needing more personnel to handle them.
The impact of the workforce shortage on cyber security is evident in a recent report, which revealed that 68% of organisations were facing increased risk.
Unsurprisingly, 84% experienced one or more cybersecurity breaches over the last year, and almost half cost them over 1 million dollars to remedy – an increase from 38%. These figures demonstrate how important it is for businesses to invest in reducing the staff deficit.
The numbers uncovered in the report are alarming, yet even more so when realising that Fortinet predicts a 65% surge in cyberattacks over the upcoming year.
Companies must invest heavily and broaden their cybersecurity teams if they intend to withstand this influx of threats – something board members have already identified.
Fortinet’s survey suggested that companies be aware of the need for certifications and training, as employers value employees with these qualifications.
To demonstrate this point, 90% of business leaders prefer to hire personnel with technology-focused credentials – a statistic up 8 points from last year.90% of respondents were willing to finance their employee’s cybersecurity certification.
Furthermore, the report revealed that 82% of respondents believed their organisation would benefit from trained cybersecurity staff, and 95% of business leaders saw positive outcomes from getting certified or having a team with certifications. 70% mentioned needing help finding people with credentials.
Fortinet’s report revealed that 80% of organisations embrace diversity goals in their hiring practices to tackle staffing shortages; however, 40% admitted difficulty locating qualified female candidates, military veterans, and people from minority backgrounds.
Between 2021 and 2022, the percentage of organisations that reported hiring military veterans decreased from 53% to 47%. However, the rate of female hires increased from 88% to 89%, and the percentage of minority hires rose from 67% to 68%.
“The new Fortinet report states that executive leaders worldwide are highly concerned about the impact of the skills gap on their businesses. The report emphasises that the skills gap is not just a talent shortage challenge. Still, it also has other serious implications,” Sandra
Wheatley, SVP of Marketing, Threat Intelligence and Influencer Communications at Fortinet, said.
Fortinet’s Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and Training Institute initiatives are dedicated to tackling the issues presented in the report, including offering certification programs focused on cybersecurity and recruiting more women into this growing field.
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