A recent study has revealed that Australia’s lake of security knowledge is smaller than realized.
A lack of 10, 000 specialized roles was identified in the report, Australia’s Cybersecurity and Technical Skills Gap, which was conducted by security company StickmanCyber and was based on ABS census and labor pressure data. For every 240 American companies, there is just one security specialist.
The lack of American security professionals contributes to the recent spate of regional data breaches, which raises the possibility of more cybersecurity-related incidents.
The present surroundings of IT expertise in Australia
The report claims that there are a number of factors contributing to the IT skills distance.
First of all, the rapid pace of technological advancement is combined with the changing nature of digital dangers. Due to this, there is a need for highly specialized professionals who are difficult to teach into an existing labor.
Thus, the source of persons with these abilities is being outpaced by desire.
As Ajay Unni, CEO of StickmanCyber, said in an appointment with TechRepublic: “Cybersecurity is a fairly new skill, having just emerged in the last century. It requires a multi-disciplinary method, blending technical experience with proper supervision. However, the ability share with this unique skill set is limited, with larger companies often outcompeting smaller firms for these experts”.
The impact on businesses
Small to mid-sized businesses, which frequently lack the resources of larger corporations and struggle to compete in an “arms race” for wages, will find the skills shortage particularly challenging. In response, they are increasingly turning to managed security service providers to fill the void.
Companies are becoming comfortable with this approach, Unni said.
” Outsourcing cyber security is becoming as common as outsourcing IT, bookkeeping, and legal functions”, he explained. However, organizations must set clear goals and define the scope of work for this to be effective. This guarantees that they are getting a good-quality product at a fair price.
However, relying solely on MSSPs is n’t a sustainable, long-term solution. SMEs still need to look for ways to develop their internal capabilities to manage and mitigate cyber risks, and managed services work best in collaboration with internal teams. This calls for a strategic effort to both train and advance existing staff as well as entice new talent into the field.
Government initiatives and their effectiveness
The Australian government has also launched a number of programs to address the skills gap and has acknowledged the value of cyber security. These initiatives include appointing a national cybersecurity coordinator and creating multiple agencies at both the federal and state levels.
However, as previously noted on TechRepublic, this interest and commitment to cybersecurity is potentially a well-meaning catalyst for an even deeper skills challenge.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of these efforts is still debatable. As Unni said, “while these initiatives are positive, they often lack coordination. The numerous organizations can cause fragmented efforts.
There is a real need for a more unified approach to skill development, especially in rural and remote areas where training and resources are constrained.
Short-term solutions: bridging the immediate gap
According to Unni, Australian organisations, educational institutions, and governments need to coordinate on both short- and long-term solutions to these challenges. In the short term, smaller cybersecurity firms can mentor new graduates and provide them with hands-on experience.
” Smaller firms should take new graduates under their wing and train them up,” Unni said. Larger businesses frequently have graduate programs, but these are frequently too difficult to access and competitive. Smaller firms can offer more personalised mentorship, helping bridge the gap between education and industry requirements.”
He also suggested that governments offer internships at cybersecurity companies to entice graduates to work in the field. This would give me valuable real-world experience and help me create a pipeline of qualified professionals ready to meet the needs of the market,” Unni noted.
Long-term strategies: building a sustainable workforce
Meanwhile, addressing the IT skills shortage properly requires a long-term, multi-faceted approach. Educational institutions can play a significant role by updating curricula to reflect the most recent developments in cyber security. This includes not only technical skills but also critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning.
Moreover, there’s an urgent need to make the cybersecurity field more inclusive. In the industry, women are still significantly underrepresented. Just 16 % of cybersecurity professionals are women, according to the StickmanCyber research.
This is a pattern that needs to be reversed in order to fully utilize the available talent pool.
” I’ve worked with many women who have been amazing at what they do,” Unni said,” Having been in IT and cyber for more than 35 years.” We do n’t see any reason why this cannot be across the industry. I hope more women will join the workforce because our national cybersecurity coordinator is a woman.
Australia has slowly stepped up its cybersecurity efforts, putting itself in a hole. Fixing the issue will require a lot of work. This requires a national effort to promote education, provide targeted training, and open doors for underrepresented groups in the public and private sectors.
