cyber security talent

Facing cyber security talent shortage?

By Gebeya

February 27, 2023

What about cyber security talent shortage? 

Businesses and corporations around the world have rapidly adopted digitalization and this new digital world has brought about new and unique new threats with it. Long gone are the bank robbery days, remote malware has taken the top spot in devastating cyber robberies, and it has far worse consequences like emptying your bank account. This is why cyber security is extremely important for every individual and business.

With many people being aware of cybercrime threats, most of them have embraced safe internet habits, especially in developing countries like Africa, with an increase in demand for cybersecurity professionals.

However, the cybersecurity market seems to attract fewer professionals probably due to the intricate risk involved, lack of resources, or the demand of the role being fairly new. The trend has been witnessed across the globe, especially in Africa, and due to this high demand, many businesses have experienced a cyber security talent shortage.

  • Search for willingness

Individuals who are tech-savvy and have the desire to learn about the cybersecurity world should be encouraged to take up courses that will allow them to gain knowledge about this particular field.

Work experience in fields such as cybersecurity is extremely important. Suppose more companies were to encourage their employees, they would be able to produce more cybersecurity professionals. 

Those who show willingness should be given a chance and ample time to learn and grow and once they have spent enough time in the field, they tend to perform well. Many big companies such as IBM and Google often encourage their employees to take up new challenges for growth.

  • Focusing on diversity:

The whole technology community suffers from problems of diversity. This has been a great challenge to overcome for many industries, and cybersecurity is no different. The problems of diversity are very severe, and according to reports, women only make up 11% of the global security workforce.

Through the inclusion of diversity, a corporation gets the advantage of a fresh perspective, new ways to solve problems, innovative methods to fix things, and so much more can be achieved through diversity.

Many foreign companies these days are looking to hire cybersecurity teams in Africa because they are equally qualified and a diverse team often provides optimum solutions to problems.

  • Military veterans:

So much of what we know about cyber security is due to military technological advancements. Military veterans are highly trained and are technologically advanced when it comes to cyber security issues.

Their training modules have tips and ways through which you can ensure your safety on the internet. Hiring such veterans as cyber security talents can help uncover security loopholes for your business.

The bottom line is that many businesses have a lot to learn from experienced veterans and by hiring them, you make use of an untapped market that can alleviate the cyber security talent shortage. 

  • Re-evaluating positions

Companies need to look at their cybersecurity divisions and understand the job vacancies and why they don’t seem attractive enough for cybersecurity talents.

Many young and fresh talents want interesting job descriptions, comfortable working spaces, and better benefits as conventional job offerings don’t seem to do the job anymore.

If you are looking to attract some of the brightest minds, you would need to create a culture of creativity and exposure making your team look more innovative and fresh.

  • Enhancing cultural understanding

Some businesses miss out on the best of talent during hiring because they have not created the dynamic fresh and harmonized culture that candidates are looking for. 

In emerging regions like Africa for example, some foreign companies struggle to adapt as they are unwilling or struggle to adapt to a different culture therefore they are unable to fully utilize African talents.

By implementing a cultural understanding at work, many businesses would profit greatly with recent research suggesting that a diverse workforce increases the performance of a company by up to 12%. 

Cybersecurity is a field that cannot be taken lightly especially when data exploitation and cyber harassment are on the rise. Hiring a cyber security team in Africa might just be the solution that you are looking for and Gebeya can help you find that needle in a haystack. 

Search and Hire cyber security professionals on Gebeya who dedicate their time in understanding the unique needs of your business and create optimum solutions.