Cybersecurity frameworks are notoriously expensive to build and maintain. And, business leaders are frequently dissatisfied with their effectiveness. According to research conducted by the Ponemon Institute, enterprises spend an average of $2.86 million per year on their in-house security operations center (SOC), with more than half of those costs allo

The cybersecurity talent gap is real. The 2019/2020 Official Annual Cybersecurity Jobs Report predicts that there will be 3.5 million security jobs left unfilled globally by 2021. The cybersecurity profession hit a 0% unemployment rate and the pay is good. So, why are security leaders struggling to fill positions? It could be because they are looking for th

The events of early 2020 have prompted organizations to shift priorities across the board, and security processes are no exception. While the current working environment has presented numerous short-term challenges, it has also caused security leaders to take a fresh look at what really matters to their businesses. The cybersecurity trends that emerge could

The cybersecurity industry has a problem: In 2019, women made up only 20 percent of the cybersecurity workforce. This statistic would be alarming in any industry given the amount of research that espouses the benefits of more balanced, diverse workforces. But it is especially troublesome in cybersecurity, where we already face a serious skills shortage. So,

In March 2017, (ISC)2 published the results of its annual “Global Information Security Workforce Study,” a survey of 19,641 people working in the cybersecurity field across 170 different countries. Of the thousands of people surveyed, only 11 percent were women in cybersecurity. That statistic, coupled with the report’s conclusion that by 2

Women in cybersecurity now represent 20 percent of the workforce, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. There’s still a long way to go in closing the industry gender gap, especially when you consider that women make up over half the U.S. workforce. However, the security industry has also made progress, and that’s something to be proud of. In 2013,

Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but it can lead to improvement. Quality practice is key in matters of human security, and the right quantity of practice can also make a significant difference when it comes to shifting mindsets and behavior. “Scientists believe that expert-level performance is primarily the result of expert-level practi

Many in cybersecurity view the profession as a calling. Yet that same passion that brought you to your first cybersecurity job could also leave you feeling underappreciated and cause you to slide toward burnout. The flame of our passion can bring warmth, but without proper handling, it can also consume many of the things we care deeply about, including our o

Imagine the impact on the government cybersecurity landscape if the mantra for every U.S. state were something like, “Every student, every school, cyber-educated.” It’s the first I’ve heard about an objective this bold, and it comes from a state that gets little media exposure: North Dakota. The small Great Plains state has establishe

Artificial intelligence (AI) excels at finding patterns like unusual human behavior or abnormal incidents. It can also reflect human flaws and inconsistencies, including 180 known types of bias. Biased AI is everywhere, and like humans, it can discriminate against gender, race, age, disability and ideology. AI bias has enormous potential to negatively affect

Not too long ago, there was a one-size-fits-all assumption about cybersecurity jobs. The security professional was hired to manage security systems and read logs — maybe handle audits and ensure industry compliance. Now, the job landscape for cybersecurity professionals is becoming more specialized, and even those specialized areas break down into even more

National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) highlights important security issues to help governments, businesses and individuals improve their online hygiene. One critical area to consider is the growing shortage of qualified security professionals, which is projected to reach 6 million unfilled positions across the globe by 2019. There are plenty of opp

October is European Cyber Security Month (ECSM). This marks the fifth anniversary of the initiative and builds on the activities started in previous years. The concept of a cybersecurity awareness month began in the U.S. 14 years ago with the aim of promoting cybersecurity for all computer users, from consumers to governments. Over time, many jurisdictions a

“In the shifting landscape of higher education today, critical questions continue to be raised about the value of a liberal arts education. There is a constant drumbeat claiming that STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math — are far more valuable in today’s digital economy and culture than a traditional liberal arts major such a

As an independent information security consultant, I am often asked what it takes to forge a positive cybersecurity career path and stand out in the field. I tell people that working for yourself is not for everyone. An independent security professional must constantly seek out new business, unsure where that next bit of income is going to come from. It̵