Future-proof your security team

Wanted: 3.5 million people for 2021 cybersecurity jobs

More than half (51%) of executives in our Global DTI 2021 survey say they plan to add full-time cybersecurity personnel over the next year. More than one-fifth (22%) will increase their staffing by 5% or more.

Top roles they want to fill: cloud solutions (43%), security intelligence (40%), and data analysis (37%). Cloud security and security analysis are among the skills that a joint ESG and ISSA survey cited as being in shortest supply.

Hiring managers face tough competition in the cyber labor market. The most recent studies indicate that, in the US alone, 50% fewer candidates are available than are needed in the cyber field. Globally, some 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs are expected to go unfilled in 2021.

More than half of businesses are expanding their cybersecurity teams

Source: PwC, Global Digital Trust Insights Survey 2021, October 2020: base 3,249
Q: How is headcount for your cybersecurity team changing in the next 12 months?

Access talent through managed services models

Other organizations may not have the resources to compete for cyber talent in this tough market. In such cases, using a reputable managed security services model can help provide companies with a diverse, readily available, highly skilled workforce. The best managed services providers continually invest in hiring, credentialing, and upskilling. They may also have apprenticeship programs that provide their staff with a range of experiences in different industries.

Managed services platforms — networks, the cloud, data, analytical tools, visualization, machine learning — are constantly evolving. By moving to a managed services model, an organization can avoid not only technology investment costs but also the risks that legacy technology poses, including the need for constant upgrades.

An overwhelming majority — nearly 90 percent — of executives use or plan to use managed services. Eighteen percent say they’re already realizing benefits from managed services, while 49% are starting to use them, and 18% plan to do so in the next two years.