3 Ways to Get the Cybersecurity Skills Your Business Needs

It has been well documented that there is a digital skills gap currently facing recruitment – there simply aren’t enough people with the necessary IT skills that are being demanded by the jobs market. This makes the hiring process around IT professionals slower, more challenging, and far more expensive, as attracting the top talent takes time and larger salary demands.

However, the problem is actually compounded when we look at niche aspects of IT. In fact, cybersecurity is one of the areas of IT that is suffering most from a skills gap. As of 2020, it seems that this skills gap is actually widening – according to recent research, 45% of organisations believe that this is the case.  

This is a huge problem. With cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the range of attacks growing all the time, businesses of all sizes need more cybersecurity skills and knowledge just to keep up with the advances of criminals. That’s not to mention the fact that the GDPR and other regulations stipulate the need for greater cybersecurity measures in order to protect the data of individuals.

So, not only could a lack of cybersecurity skills leave businesses vulnerable to attack – they could also face legal ramifications if they are not taking the necessary steps to ensure that the company’s systems are secure. When you additionally consider that cyberattacks can do far more reputational damage than just the simple financial damage, the need for really high levels of cybersecurity have never been greater.

Getting these cyber skills into your business may not be easy – but it can be done. Here we take a look at some of the ways that businesses can rely on to get in the cybersecurity skills that they need.

Work with a recruitment agency

The first thing to say is that if you are going down the traditional route of hiring in-house talent for your cybersecurity team, going with conventional methods of recruitment may not be enough. The fact is that this is an employee’s market – there are more jobs available than there are qualified candidates.

This is why it is so important to work with a company that specialises in the recruitment of cybersecurity professionals. Having a broad network of talented candidates available and understanding how to place them in the right role is crucial. While this can be a more expensive method of hiring, it can actually save you money long-term, as you’ll get the professional that you are looking for.

Outsource to a cybersecurity specialist

It may be the case that you don’t actually need to hire someone in house. This is often true of smaller businesses that may need the cybersecurity skills but don’t have the resources to hire a team of cybersecurity staff. In this case, it can be ideal to work with a company that offers cybersecurity services.

This way, you are getting the expertise and security knowledge that will benefit your company via a team without having to pay for a full-time team. This gives you access to more experienced professionals and even a greater level of cybersecurity software and tools. It can be hugely beneficial for a smaller company to not have to worry about issues like recruitment or retaining staff.

Upskill your team

Another option could be to begin training and upskilling your current members of staff to provide them with the cybersecurity knowledge and skills that they need to keep the company secure. Undoubtedly it is the case that teams can benefit from additional cybersecurity skills and employees can be a vital line of defence against cybercrime.

However, it must also be said that if you are taking this route, you must ensure that you do not consider it to be a silver bullet. Cybercriminals have been sophisticated and advanced, and their methods constantly evolve and change. This means that you need the expertise of true cybersecurity professionals to be able to defend your business against them.

Final thoughts

Cybersecurity is a hot topic, and with the increasing dependence on IT and the exponential rise in demand for online services, this will continue to be the case. It is essential, then, that businesses treat cybersecurity as the vital issue it is, and put in the proper investment in training and qualified cybersecurity staff.