The Center for Strategic and International Studies and Intel Security performed a study to look at the impact of the shortage of workers in the field of cyber security. They found this shortage has a major effect in both the private and public sectors. Eighty-two (82) percent of the participants–from the U.S., UK, Australia, France, Germany, Israel, Japan and Mexico–said they were unable to fill positions with well-trained or experienced workers and believe that they will still have 15 percent of their positions empty by 2020. What’s worse, 71 percent said that the shortage has caused direct and measurable harm to their organizations. They cited overworking and having to ration time as to why this shortage has hurt.
This shortage raises the question – who’s to blame? In fact, 76 percent say that the government is somewhat responsible for not training the new workforce to have cyber skills, especially in school. In an attempt to mitigate this, Dr. Phyllis Schneck of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection and Programs directorate, is trying to make it easier for workers to move between the private and public sectors. She points out how millennials tend not to find value in staying at a company to retirement. Additionally, she is trying to use DHS funds to pay for applicants’ student loans to keep employees there for a specific amount of time. This would also help address another problem that the participants noted, that the majority of executives valued real-world training and experience in addition to a bachelor’s degree.