The Cybersecurity Shortage
The demand for cybersecurity and IT job positions are growing faster than companies can hire. This poses serious problems. Not only does the shortage leave companies vulnerable to cyberattacks, but it leads to burnout for those who do work in the industry. MarketPlace reported on the burnout which experts in the field face. Lesley Carhart, who is an incident responder with the industrial cybersecurity company Dragos, explained: “There is a lot of burnout, especially in the people who respond to cybersecurity incidents because it’s constant crisis management. We don’t necessarily have the tools to cope with being under that constant pressure and stress of dealing with triage and crises. Now we’ve gotten to the point where there might be escalation of geopolitical situations or war, due to cyber events. So there’s this constant level of stress, and that’s just not a sustainable thing for human beings.”
The burnout which Carhart mentioned creates a situation where there is a shortage of workers within the industry, yet those who are in the industry are considering leaving due to the burnout and stress. It was reported last year that as many as 45% of cybersecurity professionals are considering quitting the field, which would make the shortage even worse.
President Joe Biden has recognized the seriousness of this problem. This is why President Biden’s administration announced funding for a first-ever state and local cybersecurity grant program. As President Biden himself has acknowledged, the government can only do so much, however. Private companies will also have to make a serious commitment to resolving the cybersecurity shortage as well.
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Dwayne is the author of several books on the history and experiences of African people, both on the continent and in the diaspora. His books are available through Amazon. You can also follow Dwayne on Facebook and Twitter.
