The 2023 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report shows that organizations continue to fight an uphill battle against cyber threats. They're experiencing more breaches, are in dire need of skilled professionals, and are struggling to fill critical roles.

As cybercrime proliferates and bad actors identify new and more sophisticated ways to infiltrate networks, it's no surprise that organizations are falling victim to cyberattacks more frequently than in the past. The report shows 84% of enterprises experienced one or more breaches in the past 12 months. And the number of organizations confirming five or more breaches jumped by 53% between 2021 and 2022. While numerous factors are likely to contribute to this increase in breaches, more than two-thirds of business leaders (68%) agree that unfilled IT and security positions pose a security risk to their organizations.

In addition to successful cyberattacks occurring more frequently, they're continuing to cost organizations a lot of money. Nearly half of the organizations surveyed suffered breaches in the past 12 months that cost more than$1 million to remediate, an increase from 2021.

However, it's not all bad news. The report shows that recruiting from a more diverse talent pool can help to shrink the skills gap, and many organizations are creating and pursuing initiatives to attract a broader set of candidates. But those numbers aren't increasing in accordance with the need.

The Need to Recruit from a Broader Talent Pool

According to recent research, there is currently a global cybersecurity workforce shortage of 3.4 million people. Businesses have historically sought out "traditional" candidates-those with a degree in a related field or previous cybersecurity work experience-to fill open cybersecurity roles. However, this outdated approach is no longer viable given the overwhelming need for cybersecurity professionals.

Most organizations (83%) have diversity goals for hiring that span the next two to three years. Drawing from historically overlooked sources of talent can help fill skill gaps by expanding the pool of potential candidates. Organizations are now seeking cybersecurity candidates from a broader talent set, including women, minority groups, and military veterans. While these individuals may not have previous cybersecurity work experience, veterans are often considered to already have the right training, traits, and discipline to work in security.

It's encouraging to see businesses implementing programs to attract a more diverse talent pool. According to the report, many organizations maintain recruiting initiatives aimed at women (73%) and candidates from minority populations (59%). However, between 2021 and 2022, similar initiatives designed to attract veterans fell from 51% to 43%.

Despite their efforts, some organizations still find recruiting and hiring qualified individuals difficult. Of the three talent sources mentioned, 69% of IT decision-makers say their organizations struggle to find and hire qualified women, saying it's considerably harder than recruiting from minority and veteran populations. And more than half (54%) also say that retaining these individuals is a challenge.

Embrace Training and Certification Programs to Support Hiring Initiatives

Employers can implement numerous unique recruitment approaches when searching for cybersecurity talent. Yet as the talent gap continues widening and critical roles remain unfilled, one of the most effective steps organizations should take to attract a more diverse group of candidates is to offer training and certification programs or partner with other organizations that do so.

Individuals with cybersecurity-related certifications are attractive candidates to many organizations. In fact, most IT leaders (90%) prefer hiring people with technology-focused certifications. At the same time, 90% would pay for an employee to get a cybersecurity certification.

Fortinet Makes Cybersecurity Training More Accessible to Diverse Groups

Fortinet is committed to increasing access to cybersecurity training and certification programs and employment opportunities, particularly for under-represented groups such as women, minorities, and military veterans.

Through the Fortinet Training Institute, anyone can take a wide range of self-paced, instructor-led, and virtual instructor-led training at a low or no cost. The program also offers practical, experiential exercises that allow participants to demonstrate their mastery of complex network security concepts. For individuals just getting started in the industry, programs like these help them succeed in a cybersecurity-focused role.

Fortinet also partners with organizations like Women in Cybersecurity, Latinas in Cyber, Blacks in Technology (BIT), IBM SkillsBuild, Hire Heroes USA, and others to connect individuals with education and employment opportunities in cybersecurity. For example, in partnership with IBM SkillsBuild, Fortinet offers its Network Security Expert training and certification curriculum through IBM's platform, creating new cybersecurity career pathways for learners.

In collaboration with organizations that span industry, academia, government, and nonprofits, Fortinet is creating more opportunities for organizations to find more qualified diverse cybersecurity talent and helping individuals from more diverse groups obtain the skill sets needed to grow in their profession or start a career in the field. These initiatives are essential to our industry, particularly as organizations of all shapes and sizes struggle to recruit and retain talent to fill critical roles. Organizations can fill vacant positions, diversify their teams, and more effectively protect their networks by creating recruitment strategies to attract a more diverse group of candidates to the cybersecurity field.