State of Cybersecurity 2020

Persistent Hiring Challenges and Retention

Issues Demand New Talent Pipelines

New global research

from ISACA shows little
progress—and, in some
cases, worse results—when
62 %
say their organization’s
57%
say they currently have
it comes to cybersecurity cybersecurity team is unfilled cybersecurity positions
hiring and retention. understaffed on their team

Cybersecurity Hiring Challenges Show No Improvement

32%
say it takes six months or more to
fill an open cybersecurity position
with a qualified candidate

70% 72 %
of cybersecurity professionals
say fewer than half of believe that their HR department
cybersecurity applicants does not regularly understand
are well qualified the needs

THE TOP THREE

Most important factors 81% Hands-on training

in determining if a
89% Credentials
cybersecurity candidate
is qualified are: Hands-on
95% cybersecurity experience
0 20 40 60 80 100

Retention Concerns Increase

TOP 5 REASONS
Respondents say cybersecurity staff are leaving:

1 59% Recruited by other companies

2 50% Limited promotion and development opportunities
50% Poor financial incentives
3 40% High work stress levels
4 39% Lack of management support
Skills Gaps Persist

66 %
say it’s difficult to retain
cybersecurity talent
10% (an increase from last year)

13% TOP 5 32%

Skills Slight Progress in Gender
16% Gaps Diversity Initiatives

30% 81%
of respondents say men and women are
offered equal opportunities for career
Soft skills advancements at their organization
IT knowledge and skills gaps +7% The percentage of women who say
Insufficient business insight opportunities are equal increased
7 points year over year.
Cybersecurity technical experience
Insufficient hands-on training 61%
of cybersecurity teams still

64%
have significantly more men
than women
O N LY indicate some progress

27%
However, the number of teams
+3% reporting equal numbers of toward increasing the
men and women increased by number of women in
3 percentage points this year cybersecurity roles

say recent university graduates in

Only 13% say that
cybersecurity are well-prepared for the
progress is significant 13%
cybersecurity challenges they’ll face

49%
78% of organizations
have a diversity
program in place
say demand for technical cybersecurity
individual contributor roles will increase to support female
over the next 12 months cybersecurity
professionals

NEXT STEPS

How Can Organizations Take Action Now?

1 2 3 4
Invest in existing Offer a pipeline Look to nontraditional Waive university
employees through to cybersecurity recruiting, such as degree requirements
both financial incentives positions for current apprenticeships, in recognition of the
and training. non-cyber staff. government nontraditional paths to
programs or hosting cybersecurity careers.
a cybersecurity
competition.

Get a free copy of ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2020 research at

www.isaca.org/state-of-cybersecurity-2020
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