The results of the seventh (ISC)² Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) conducted by Frost & Sullivan for the (ISC)² Foundation with the support of Booz Allen Hamilton, found 45 percent of hiring managers reporting that they are struggling to support additional hiring needs and 62 percent of respondents reporting that their organizations have too few information security professionals.
Research Update: Global Information Security Workforce Study https://t.co/Ej2TawI7Z0 #cybersecurity
— GridCyberSec (@GridCyberSec) February 5, 2016
These findings were reported despite security spending increases across the board for technology, personnel and training; rising average annual salaries; high rates of job satisfaction and low rates of change to employment status. The analysts from Frost & Sullivan forecast a shortfall of 1.5 million experienced Security Operations experts by 2020.
Security Operations teams — known as SecOps — are overwhelmed by the day-to-day administration of low-impact incidents, leaving them unable to work productively on major incidents which could put the corporation at serious risk.
Automation Assistance
One of the options senior techies are working on to help alleviate the problem is the development of automated software that can be deployed to manage the day-to-day, repetitive and time-consuming tasks, leaving experts to concentrate on the major issues in a process known as SecOps orchestration.
David Shearer, CEO at (ISC)², said:
"My hope is that automation can help us get our head above the water and enable us to look at the parts of the security program which are not being adequately addressed right now — from awareness, educating the board, and investment to ensure that security gets in at the budget formulation stages, so that resources are available to look more holistically at the issue, during execution."
The report said: "Today's CISOs and CIOs need to start forcing more integration into their operations — that is, better leveraging automation and building the right skills with the right tools among staff to get the right results. In today's connected society, the dangers of this workforce shortage are far-reaching and serious."
