The latest figures on the shortage of cybersecurity professionals make for grim reading. The global cybersecurity workforce gap has reached an all-time high of four million people, a 12.6% increase compared to 2022 – and that includes almost 28,000 roles in Australia. That’s 28,000 cyber security professionals needed across Australia to protect businesses and their employees, assets, and infrastructure from increasingly aggressive threats. Microsoft estimates that the demand for cyber security skills in Australia has grown by 26% in the past year.
There is more. LinkedIn data suggests the most in-demand security skills in Australia include those related to threat detection and response (Security Information and Event Management or SIEM), network security, and machine learning. These areas are vital to the defense of digital enterprises with their dispersed workforce and cloud assets.
This means organizations in Australia face a dual challenge – there aren’t enough cybersecurity professionals to meet business needs, and those that exist don’t always have the technical expertise that companies are looking for.
As a result, implementing and managing cybersecurity and dealing with the impact of security incidents is often left in the hands of overworked or underqualified IT and security professionals. People trying to juggle security tasks that include a tsunami of daily security alerts that may or may not be malicious, a rapid escalation of email threats targeting unwary employees, multiple security products from multiple vendors, and more.
What can organizations – and especially SMEs, which may find it harder to compete for the best security talent – do to reduce the impact of the skills shortage?
The right technology tools can make things easier
Security solutions do not replace skilled and professional staff, but advanced, intelligent, and integrated tools can take some of the burden of security management. This allows the security team to do more with fewer people and compensate for some gaps in a way that is reliable, fast, and accurate.
Examples of such tools include Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), and AI-powered automation and incident response.
Secure Service Edge access
SASE is a cloud-based network security model that combines a number of critical security functions and an advanced network for data traffic (SD-WAN or software-defined wide area network) in one manageable service. SASE can help with the cybersecurity skills gap in several ways:
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- By simplifying the way network security policies are managed across multiple locations and devices, reducing the need for dedicated staff and hardware.
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- It enables full visibility and control over network traffic and threats, allowing security teams to focus on more strategic and complex tasks.
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- Empowering remote and mobile workers with consistent and secure access to the cloud applications and data they need to do their jobs, reducing the risk of data breaches and regulatory violations.
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- Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate and optimize network performance and security, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of security operations.
SASE is not a silver bullet for cybersecurity skills shortages. However, by adopting SASE, organizations can improve their network security posture and resilience while reducing the operational complexity and costs associated with traditional network security solutions. Our SASE solution is a SecureEdge a cloud platform that offers end-to-end security, connectivity, and visibility for sites, devices, and users with features such as Zero Trust application access, URL filtering, and traffic optimization.
Extended Detection and Response (XDR)
XDR solutions can also help address the impact of the cybersecurity skills gap in several ways. XDR is a security solution that integrates multiple security products and services and thus provides a comprehensive view of the entire IT environment. By automating threat detection and response processes, it can help companies detect and respond to cyber threats more quickly and efficiently. If you then add a Security Operations Center (SOC), especially one offered as a service through a Managed Security Provider (MSP), the business also benefits from security experts who can monitor their IT environment 24/7 and respond to XDR-identified security incidents in real-time.
Automated email threat detection and incident response using artificial intelligence.
Automated with artificial intelligence email threat detection and incident response can help companies detect and respond to email-based cyber threats faster and more accurately than traditional approaches – eliminating the need for time-consuming, resource-intensive manual responses.
As cyber threats continue to increase in both frequency and complexity, the need for companies to have access to an adequate level of cyber security with the required skills has never been higher. This is a significant issue for the security industry as a whole, both nationally and globally, but it will take time to address it through better professional development, career paths, and certifications – to name a few options.
Meanwhile, businesses can augment and support their existing security teams by leveraging support from partners like MSPs and implementing advanced, intelligent security solutions that improve their security and reduce the pressure on the people who keep them safe.
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