Communications of the ACM
Cyber Warrior Shortage Hits Anti-Hacker Fightback
The increasing activities of cybercriminals has created a growing need for cybersecurity professionals, but the number of those qualified to do the job has not kept pace with demand.
Credit: The Daily Caller
The increasing activities of cybercriminals has led to a growing need for cybersecurity specialists, but the demand has far outpaced the number of those qualified to do the job, leading to a staffing crunch.
"As with anything, it really comes down to human capital and there simply isn't enough of it," says Truman National Security Project fellow Chris Finan.
Global losses from cyberattacks are in the range of $80 billion to $400 billion annually, according to research from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. As a result, the number of IT security roles in the U.S. will increase by about 22 percent in the decade to 2020, creating 65,700 new jobs, estimates the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Recruitment and retention in cyber is a challenge for everybody working in this area," says Finmeccanica's Mike Bradshaw. "It's an area where demand exceeds supply...it's going to take a while for supply to catch up."
Although the private sector offers hefty salaries for IT security specialists, the government still can hold onto some talent by appealing to their sense of public service and patriotism. There also is an expectation that government employees can transition to more lucrative private-sector jobs after several years in public service.
From Reuters
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