It is estimated that there are over 700K more cyber jobs than there are professionals to fill them. 事实上, the cyber workforce challenge is so severe that the US Executive Branch recently released a 60-page strategy aimed at Unleashing America’s Cyber Talent which introduces a layered approach to closing this gap and demonstrates the complexity of the cyber workforce issue that we are facing.
Cyber professionals are constantly pressured to deliver secure solutions and adjust to a continuously shifting threat landscape. This encourages us to seek out other experienced professionals to fill our open opportunities leaving little time for us to refresh our own skills and even less time to train entry-level employees. 然而, such challenges resign these potentially new candidates to question, ‘How does one get an entry-level job when experience is a qualifying factor?’
最近, I attended a career fair where I met hundreds of young professionals with a cross-section of experience 文化背景 looking to start their professional careers. Attendees ranged from college juniors to recent graduates. Some had degrees in cyber and technology while others had degrees in science or engineering. 在我们的谈话中, I was reminded of the recruitment roadblocks preventing young talent from entering this space.
如何开始网络安全的职业生涯?
I have participated in panel discussions where I cover the cyber threat landscape, the job opportunities presented in cybersecurity, and the need to develop the talent to address the cyber workforce gap. 然而, 对学生讲话时, 教育工作者, 和辅导员, I continue to hear about the barriers to entry into this field. While these challenges appear to be happening across all gender, 比赛, 文化背景, there is a disproportional impact on minorities in the workplace. According to the Aspen Digital Tech Policy report, only 9% of cybersecurity experts are Black/Afro-American. 其中8%是亚洲人，4%是西班牙人. Women represent only 24% of 网络专业人士.
那么，我们该如何解决这个问题呢? How are students supposed to start careers in cyber when so many roles require multiple years of experience? What is needed to further support and integrate more diversity into the cyber workforce?
As we can determine from the Unleashing Americas Cyber Talent national strategy, this is a nuanced challenge facing our industry. 然而, I believe there are things we can do to break down some barriers and create opportunities for young, 多样化的, 网络专业人士.
资金
A wise man once said, ‘The answer to all your questions is money.’ Whether we are opening up more positions for entry-level roles, 对现有员工进行交叉培训, or providing innovative ways to develop cyber skills, we need to think creatively about how we can develop, 激励, 为这些项目提供资金.
Such challenges resign these potentially new candidates to question, 'How does one get an entry-level job when experience is a qualifying factor?'
Remove Certifications and Years of Experience Requirements from Entry-Level Positions
许多网络认证(如.g., CISSP, CISM) require the certificate holder to have minimum levels of job experience. This requirement can discourage underrepresented groups who may not have the resources to gain these certifications from applying to these roles. For those of us who have been in this field for a while, we created the ‘experience certification barrier’ to limit the ‘paper experience’ challenges that plagued us in the aughts. We, as 网络专业人士, should understand that certifications do not equal quality talent. Certifications should be used to certify a skill honed over years of effort and one cannot do that if they are not presented with an opportunity to prove themselves.
High-performing cyber security professionals often possess critical thinking skills, relentless pursuit to find the root cause of an issue, 一丝怀疑, 和高能量. These skills should be the most valued in selecting entry-level 网络专业人士.
营造包容的环境
Companies often measure the number of 多样化的 talent they hire into their organizations. 然而, few companies measure their ability to retain 多样化的 talent. This limited view is counterproductive to inclusion initiatives. Organizations must listen to the voices of their underrepresented groups and take action to foster inclusive practices that retain these employees.
While I’m certain there are several more actions to break barriers for underrepresented groups in the cyber workforce, I am eager to hear your opinions or experiences when attempting to get a start in this highly sought-after career path. Please share your experience with hiring cyber talent, 推进网络安全多样性, or building skills necessary to reduce the deficit.
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