1 in 3 ANZ businesses plan to hire more security pros

One in three businesses in Australia and New Zealand are looking to hire security-specific skills, and more than thee in four are looking to improve security skills, according to a new report from CompTIA.

The IT industry association has published the results of a survey indicating that businesses are pursuing a variety of methods for improving their security capabilities, including offering security training (37%) and certification (28%) for current employees, as well as hiring new security professionals.

Meanwhile, 20% of respondents are exploring the use of third parties and outsourcing security while 14% are looking to expand their existing use of third parties.

Recent research from The Australian Cyber Security Growth Network (AustCyber) indicates that the nation’s infosec sector is already facing a shortfall of 2300 workers, and Australia is expected to need up to 17,600 additional cybersecurity professionals by 2026.

Gartner has warned that the global cybersecurity skills shortage poses a significant cyber threat. The shortage of available talent could meanwhile be costing Australia more than $400 billion in lost revenue and wages, AustCyber found.

“Given the current skills gap, the importance of offering security training and certification will be more important than ever in equipping the future workforce. It will also inspire loyalty by showing employees a willingness to invest in their career development, which ultimately benefits the business long term,” said CompTIA ANZ Channel Community Executive Council Member and Director Of Sales James Bergi.

“The most critical aspect of modern security for an organisation to grasp is that the objective is no longer to build the ideal defence. ... Cloud computing and mobile devices have introduced workflow and data storage techniques that require new models, and the incessant nature of attacks makes total prevention an unreasonable goal. As such, companies need more proactive methods to ensure a strong security posture including retaining and upskilling their security workforce.”

CompTIA’s findings will add to the pressure government and industry is feeling to address Australia’s growing IT skills shortage. Recent research from DXC Technology and analyst firm Telsyte found that more than 35,000 new IT jobs will be needed in the Australian market this year.

Meanwhile, the Australian Computer Society has called on whichever party wins the upcoming election to establish a $100 million fund to address the looming shortage of Industry 4.0 skills.

The skills shortage is contributing to upwards pressure on wages, with Roert Half estimating that Australian IT employers are now having to increase their salary offer for seven out of every 10 new IT hires.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Gajus

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