For an industry that barely existed 20 years ago, cybersecurity continues to have more openings than there are workers to fill the positions. According to 2022 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, released in October, there are now an estimated 4.7 million cybersecurity professionals – an all-time high for the workforce – yet, there is still a global shortage of 3.4 million in the field.
Moreover, in the U.S. alone, there are now some 700,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs.
What is especially noteworthy is that the shortfall in workers is the result of a skills shortage, while integration challenges are even impacting cybersecurity adoption. According to data from a recent study conducted by cybersecurity researchers at BlackFog and Sapio Research, upwards of 32% of IT security decision makers surveyed warned that the lack of skills within their teams prevented deployment of a new solution, while 22% even said they’d consider leaving their current role due to a lack of budget for investing in the latest technology.
“The lack of cybersecurity skills is reflected in the high wages for qualified individuals and the booming cybersecurity market,” explained Dr. Darren Williams, CEO and founder of BlackFog.
“We have seen there is a big disconnect between public and government organizations wage expectations and the current marketplace,” Williams told ClearanceJobs. “This is often driven by the views of management which often equate these roles to general IT roles rather than specialists in cybersecurity such as threat management, forensics and security professionals generally. Unless these organizations recognize this disparity they will not be able to fill these roles with the right people.”
New Program to Upskill the Cyber Work Force
There is now a new effort underway to produce the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, who will be capable of defending from emerging digital threats. EC-Council University announced this month that it will offer the first-of-its-kind online Master of Science degree program in Computer Science that includes industry-recognized cybersecurity certifications.
The new online program will include the industry-standard Certified Ethical Hacker cybersecurity certification and has been designed to the highest level of academic rigor and aims to build capability in blockchain, robotics, and artificial intelligence technologies in its graduates.
ECCU’s programs include Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Graduate Certificate Programs in cybersecurity. The new program, designed to be completed entirely online over an 18 to 24 month period, is the first of its kind to augment its program with the full official EC-Council courseware, labs, and instructional videos of EC-Council to prepare its students to two industry-standard cybersecurity certifications.
“With ECCU’s Master’s in Computer Science, our graduates will be able to demonstrate that they not only have the knowledge to lead the innovative integration of computing technologies into their organizations, but that they also have the ability to protect it,” explained Dr. Venus Fisher, dean and chief academic officer at ECCU.
The degree is meant to prepare graduates to be computer scientists, and cybersecurity leaders in their fields.
“Our Master’s in Computer Science is infused with two well sought after cybersecurity certifications Certified Network Defender (CND) and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH),” Fisher told ClearanceJobs.
As cybersecurity and technology have grown in importance, so has the need for skilled professionals who are capable of architecting, designing, and implementing secure environments. This program is one that could be a vehicle for those who wish to gain credentials in both computer science and cybersecurity. The curriculum includes theory as well as practical knowledge in both areas.
“In today’s world, the demand has significantly overtaken the supply, resulting in a shortage of qualified talent,” added Fisher. “Having easy access to a degree program such as ECCU’s, we are able to decrease the gap by equipping students to become highly skilled cybersecurity leaders and computer scientists with the knowledge, skills, and know how to not only protect our organizations and communities, but to lead them.”
