Ashley J.’s Post

"In an increasingly digital and connected world, all cyber jobs are critical to our national security. By joining the Nation’s cyber workforce, you are helping to secure our Nation." Well said, but with over 500,000 job vacancies, and the financial stability these jobs provide, why are we struggling to fill them? It looks like salaries have gone up quite a bit for these jobs in the last year. "Many Americans do not realize that a cyber career is available to them. There is a perception that you need a computer science degree and a deeply technical background to get a job in cyber. The truth is, cyber jobs are available to anyone who wants to pursue them. Cyber professionals are part of a dynamic and diverse modern workforce and individuals from all backgrounds and disciplines have a place." Time to start shouting this from the rooftops. If you work in Information Technology, and are seeking a change or a move into the Security realm, please consider one of these roles. Some are fully remote! #infosec #cybersecurity #jobs #StrongerTogether https://lnkd.in/gtiZMYaS

Check this 2024 cyberseek.org data!. The total employed cybersecurity workforce in the U.S. is about 1.1 million, yet there are about 450,000 openings. The national supply/demand ratio is 82%, meaning that there are only enough cybersecurity workers in the United States to fill 82% of the cybersecurity jobs that employers demand. 18% of cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled. The question for those "seeking employment" remains: What do I lack that employers require? Do you have the technical skills? Do you have the hands-on experience (that promotes confidence)? Do you have the soft skills and ethical framework? MOST IMPORTANTLY: Do you have the passion and drive to learn? #cybersecurity #networking #ethicalhacking #seekingemployment

"Demand for cybersecurity workers is outpacing supply, with a 20% jump last year in North America’s cyber workforce shortage and an estimated 500K unfilled jobs in the U.S. As a result, some employers are experimenting with different ways to recruit and train cyber workers, including those without four-year degrees. The federal government is seeking to lead by example. The Office of the National Cyber Director this week announced a skills-first overhaul of the hiring process for a majority of the federal IT workforce—nearly 100K current roles." #cybersecurity #skillsfirst #workforcedevelopment #skillsbasedhiring https://lnkd.in/gsmH__yz

'AVL Digital Nomads' and the 'Meet the Geeks' workforce have remote cyber security professionals and individuals seeking careers in this growing field. The value of the cybersecurity workforce lies in its critical role in protecting information systems and networks from threats and vulnerabilities. Here are key points highlighting their importance: - **Protection Against Cyber Threats:** They safeguard sensitive data from unauthorized access and cyber attacks, ensuring business continuity and trust. - **Regulatory Compliance:** They help organizations comply with data protection regulations, avoiding legal penalties and reputational damage. - **Economic Impact:** Cybersecurity professionals contribute to the economy by preventing financial losses due to cybercrime, estimated to cost billions annually. - **Innovation and Trust:** A strong cybersecurity workforce enables businesses to innovate securely, building customer and investor trust in digital services. - **Skill Gap Challenge:** The ongoing shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals emphasizes their value and the need for investment in education and training. In essence, the cybersecurity workforce is indispensable for securing the digital infrastructure and assets of organizations, thereby underpinning the smooth functioning of the global economy. https://lnkd.in/e_vC9FzT

The cybersecurity industry needs an estimated 225,200 workers: To close the talent gap, the cybersecurity industry needs an estimated 225,200 security professionals. 

According to the ISC2, the cybersecurity sector is faced with a shortfall of roughly four million professionals, which is an alarming 12.6% increase from 2022. In the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape

500,000+ Open Cybersecurity Jobs: The recent congressional hearing highlighted a critical vulnerability in our nation's defense: a staggering half a million open cybersecurity positions. This shortage exposes us to cyber threats, particularly against our critical infrastructure. The talent shortage gap and threat only get more prominent when we get down the state and local government sectors.

*** " Cyber - Where's the Talent when you need it? " *** Cyber Staffing Shortages Remain CISOs' Biggest Challenge! Staffing Shortage vs. Job Openings: Which Is It? The Cyber industry has been complaining for years of a staffing shortage, encouraging individuals to apply to jobs in an industry that claims it has much to offer. But is anyone actually hiring? Apparently so, but applicants have to be well qualified. "Most Cyber roles require cross-disciplinary experience and capabilities in IT," the researchers of the report tell Dark Reading, noting that hiring is difficult. "Unlike a System administrator role, which requires specialization in only one kind of system, Cyber roles require a fundamental understanding of networking, endpoint, applications, and systems. This makes these roles hard to fill." There's also a high demand from many competitive companies for the same qualified individuals. This means that these individuals have a lot of options, creating heavy turnover in an endless vicious cycle. Cyber pro's working the equivalent of Two jobs at once !! -- Given the ongoing shortage of Cyber professionals who meet that high bar of qualifications and knowledge, existing teams are stretched thin, some working the equivalent of two jobs to keep up with the latest threats. While this may keep a business afloat, it can also lead to burnout, oversights and, ultimately, a decrease in overall effectiveness of mitigating potential threats. According to this Dark Reading article author Kristina Beek says --- 88% of individuals interviewed expressed concerns regarding operational issues because of the lack of staffing while threats continue to grow. Not only this, but 74% of respondents said that they felt their team lacked sufficient public cloud skills to perform "high-quality investigations." See article link in the 'Comments' section - #cyber #cybersecurity #globalsecurity #itsecurity #infosec #threatmanagement #staffing #staffingshortage #ciso #techhiring

I’ve seen two instances of fake #cybersecurity workers in the last few years. This was happening even before #GenAi took off, but as WSJ and Vasu Jakkal point out, now it’s accelerating due to convergence of extreme demand, #ai, and growing rewards for the attackers. One was actually hired, but a different person showed up and we had to figure out legal way to terminate - it’s not always straightforward. The other, we found that the person talking during the interview and the person doing the interactive work were two different people. Even before deepfakes, this was a scourge. I’ve also seen it happen further down the supply chain in MSPs and MSSPs. It’s even harder to fight when you can’t directly interrogate the offender. One of the most dangerous attacks comes when the offender is volunteering their way into an open source supply chain attack. Look up XZ utils hack earlier this year. Microsoft saved all our collective ##### on that one! Sometimes they want access to do damage, other times it’s simply financial. Reinforces my long held belief: hire people you know and people they know. Challenging to scale, but much less risk for trusted positions. Beyond that, risk management is critical. #zerotrust applies to people, too - especially when the person is supposed to be a security control!

According to the ISC2, the cybersecurity sector is faced with a shortfall of roughly four million professionals, which is an alarming 12.6% increase from 2022. In the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape, it’s clear that the demand for more cyber professionals is glaringly high. But companies are not only faced with trying to fill that gap, as now they must also combat the hackers posing as job applicants, seizing on the workforce demand as a means of attack!    This deceptive strategy is particularly challenging to detect and requires heightened vigilance during the recruitment process. As security leaders, we must strike the right balance between tightened hiring protocols and diligent applicant screening as the need becomes increasingly critical. The stakes are high, but together we can create robust hiring practices that fortify our defenses and workforce. 💜   https://lnkd.in/gyVgyDD3