TRENDING
About the Fortinet Skills Gap Survey :
• The survey was conducted among more than 1,800 IT and / or cybersecurity decisionmakers from 29 different locations
• Survey respondents came from a range of industries , including technology ( 21 %), manufacturing ( 16 %) and financial services ( 13 %)
Upskilling security professionals and developing more talent with training
The report also suggested that employers recognize how training and certifications can benefit their organization in addressing the skills gap , while also serving as an advantage for anyone looking to advance in their current security profession , as well as for individuals considering transitioning into the field .
Highlights from the report around training include :
• Certifications are sought after by employers : Beyond experience , employers view certifications and training as reliable validation of an individual ’ s skill set with 90 % of business leaders preferring to hire individuals with technology-focused certifications – up from 81 % the year before . Additionally , 90 % of respondents would pay for an employee to get a cybersecurity certification
• Certifications benefit both organizations and individuals : More than 80 % of report respondents ( 82 %) indicated their organization would benefit from cybersecurity certifications and 95 % of business leaders have experienced positive results from either their team or themselves being certified
• Not enough professionals are certified : While certifications are highly regarded , more than 70 % of respondents said it is difficult to find people with certifications
Increasing opportunities for women , veterans and other populations can help solve the skills gap
While the report demonstrated that organizations are seeking ways to tap into new talent pools to fill cybersecurity roles , with eight out of 10 organizations having diversity goals as part of their hiring practices , roughly 40 % of organizations indicate they have difficulty finding qualified candidates who are women , military veterans or from minority backgrounds .
• The report suggested that there was a decrease in veterans being hired compared to last year , with the number of organizations indicating they hired military veterans dropping from 53 % in 2021 to 47 % in 2022
• At the same time , the report shows there was only a one percent increase year-over-year in organizations hiring women ( 88 % in 2021 and 89 % in 2022 ) and minorities ( 67 % in 2021 and 68 % in 2022 )
Fortinet ’ s commitment to closing the skills gap
To help alleviate the challenges resulting from the skills shortage , Fortinet is committed to helping organizations improve the management of cyberrisks with ML-driven automation and services , as well as increased access to cyber training . As part of these efforts , Fortinet has pledged to train one million people in cybersecurity by 2026 to help increase access for security professionals and untapped talent pools looking to upskill and reskill . p
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