Preparing for a career in cybersecurity? Check out these statistics

This article includes excerpts from various reports that provide statistics and insights on cybersecurity jobs, skills shortages, and workforce dynamics.

Lack of skills and budget slow zero-trust implementation

Entrust | 2024 State of Zero Trust & Encryption Study | May 2024

• Despite 60% of organizations reporting significant senior leadership support for zero trust, a lack of skills and budget are still cited as the biggest roadblocks to implementing these frameworks, highlighting a discrepancy between support and resource allocation.

Worried about job security, cyber teams hide security incidents

VikingCloud | The 2024 Threat Landscape Report: Cyber Risks, Opportunities, & Resilience | May 2024

• Only 10% of companies have increased cyber hiring in the past 12 months, and nearly 20% of companies say a lack of qualified talent is a key challenge to overcoming cyberattacks.
• 35% of companies don’t have enough budget to invest in new tech and 32% don’t have enough budget to hire more staff.

CEOs accelerate GenAI adoption despite workforce resistance

IBM | IBM Study | May 2024

• 51% of CEOs surveyed say they are hiring for generative AI roles that did not exist last year, while 47% expect to reduce or redeploy their workforce in the next 12 months because of generative AI.
• 40% of CEOs surveyed plan to hire additional staff because of generative AI, yet 53% of respondents say they are already struggling to fill key technology roles.

The IT skills shortage situation is not expected to get any better

IDC | Enterprise Resilience: IT Skilling Strategies, 2024 | May 2024

• IDC predicts that by 2026, more than 90% of organizations worldwide will feel the pain of the IT skills crisis, amounting to some $5.5 trillion in losses caused by product delays, impaired competitiveness, and loss of business.

GenAI enables cybersecurity leaders to hire more entry-level talent

Splunk | State of Security 2024: The Race to Harness AI | May 2024

• 86% of cybersecurity leaders say GenAI can enable them to hire more entry-level talent to fill the skills gap, and 58% say onboarding entry-level talent will be quicker thanks to GenAI.
• 90% of security executives believe entry-level talent can lean on GenAI to develop their skills in the Security Operations Center (SOC), and 65% believe the technology will help seasoned cybersecurity professionals become more productive.

How workforce reductions affect cybersecurity postures

Cobalt | 2024 State of Pentesting Report | May 2024

• 31% of respondents said their organization conducted layoffs during the past six months, and ⅓ of those agree their organization faces greater cyber risk due to those departures.
• If not addressed, cybersecurity teams are looking at further losses, as 29% of those who have been impacted by layoffs/resignations say that they currently want to quit their jobs.

Women rising in cybersecurity roles, but roadblocks remain

ISC2 | Women in Cybersecurity | April 2024

• With the average representation of women on cybersecurity teams at 23%, attracting and retaining more diverse individuals is essential to address the global cyber workforce gap of 4 million individuals.
• By 2025, research predicts that women will represent 30% of the global cybersecurity workforce, increasing to 35% by 2031.
• Women reported lower cybersecurity staffing shortages at their organizations than male participants (62% vs. 68%), with their organizations sourcing talent from other departments, implementing job rotations, and hiring those without cyber experience at higher rates.

Closing the cybersecurity skills gap with upskilling programs

Pluralsight | 2024 Technical Skills Report | April 2024

• 65% of respondents said cybersecurity skills were lacking most within their organizations, followed by cloud (52%) and software development (40%). Cybersecurity skills were cited as the most important to learn in the next year (63%), followed by cloud (47%), and software development (45%).
• The average cost of hiring new tech talent in the US is more than $23,000 and takes 10 weeks. According to respondents, 57% of organizations spend only $5,000 per employee on upskilling.

31% of women in tech consider switching roles over the next year

Skillsoft | Women in Tech Report | April 2024

• Only 27% of women in tech report being extremely satisfied with their jobs, and 37% are considering switching roles in the next year.
• 36% of women in tech say they have improved skills in a tech-related area by earning certifications.

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