Today, the cybersecurity industry faces many challenges. Highly skilled attackers, a daily flood of data full of irrelevant information and false alarms across multiple systems come in amid a severe shortage of skilled workers. In this industry, performing detailed threat analysis with the data you already have will help protect your business. For that, you

Companies that have low retention rates are likely to increase their risk of a cybersecurity attack. The recent ISACA’s State of the Cybersecurity Workforce study found that 69% of respondents whose companies faced more attacks in the past year report being somewhat or very understaffed. However, retention is becoming a bigger challenge. The report al

COVID-19 may have given cybersecurity talent retention an artificial prop up over the last two years. For example, job satisfaction was on a downward trend from 2018 to 2019, but with the pandemic came a plateau in 2020 and 2021. Was the plateau due to newfound satisfaction or were there other factors, such as economic instability, lockdowns and mandates? I

Staffing for cybersecurity has always presented a challenge. But with the old skills shortage combined with the new “Great Resignation,” hiring the right candidates has never been more important.  The first step in looking at any prospective hire is to review resumes. People often don’t appreciate this process. It’s easy, f

Employees looking for cybersecurity jobs with the federal government can now use a new system and process. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently launched its Cybersecurity Talent Management System (CTMS), which is more than a new system or website. The CTMS represents a new approach to hiring in the industry. Cyberattacks are on the rise and th

In two previous blog posts, I shared the non-traditional cybersecurity career paths of more than a dozen professionals and how their previous life experiences shaped their security work. It’s been an honor helping to tell these individuals’ stories. We conclude this blog series with a final installment in which these same cybersecurity professio

In a previous article, I shared the stories of how more than a dozen cybersecurity professionals found their way into the industry. Their non-traditional cybersecurity career paths help to illustrate how personnel of all different education backgrounds and life experiences can become part of the same community. There’s no single certification, degree,

Your organization depends on your cybersecurity team to keep its infrastructure and data secure. But this only happens when the employees you manage are engaged in their work. Many organizations see a high burnout rate among those in cybersecurity roles. It’s natural due to the stress and pressure that are an inherent part of the work. Because of this

There are lots of ways organizations can work to address the cybersecurity skills gap. Working with young people, providing skilling for students and implementing zero trust helps. So does amplifying gender diversity and promoting respect in the workplace. Organizations can use all these strategies to fill their open positions and meet their cybersecurity n

This week, Cybersecurity Awareness Month focuses on cybersecurity careers and jobs in the industry, with a simple tagline: Explore. Experience. Share. Check out NIST’s workshops and toolkits for Career Week. For cybersecurity and IT workers, if you want to position yourself well, do some exploring. Get to know new territory outside of cybersecurity. T

Everyone wants to work with people who respect them. With the cybersecurity talent gap growing, employers need to show they truly value employees in order to keep them. Along with pay and benefits, a key way to do that is to show respect. That includes work policies that prevent harassment in the company culture.  The skills gap is still expandi

  It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) put out their 2021 #BeCyberSmart message kit: Be Cyber Smart Fight the Phish! Explore. Experience. Share. Cybersecurity First.  What do these mean for your business? Let’s start off with the basics. Cybersecurity Awareness Tips: Stop

Career advancement is an art form with many facets. One vital tool is your cybersecurity resume, the quality of which can mean the difference between getting an interview for your dream job and not being considered at all.  Following the standard advice on building a resume will give you a standard resume that won’t set you apart from the pack. F

A lot of cybersecurity jobs await out there for the qualified job seeker. According to Cyberseek, the United States had 464,200 cybersecurity job openings as of July 30, 2021. And with the skills gap, there are even more openings every day. But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job offer. So, how do you make a good cybersecurity resume that

As I help my two teenagers figure out what to do after high school, I wonder when a certification is better than a four-year degree. I’ve seen firsthand the pressure among their friends to invest a very large amount of money in college. Meanwhile, the teenager doesn’t really know what they want to do for the rest of their life, or even the next