How IT Departments Can Manage the Security Skills Shortage

A widespread security skills shortage is leaving businesses vulnerable to cyber attacks. As cyber threats become more complex, and thereby more dangerous, IT departments are having an increasingly difficult time finding employees with the skill sets needed to discover vulnerabilities, adequately address them and put a future prevention plan into place. Without qualified security staff, many businesses are unaware of how vulnerable they really are.

The Problem is Severe
While some companies, such as those in Financial Services, often have advanced data protection systems, these systems are not fully utilized because their employees lack the expertise necessary to fully understand the security field. This lack of a security expert on staff can lead to undetected security breaches, which can in turn lead to poor response times and difficulty in recovery; both of which further compound the problem.

While tools, technologies and services can easily be purchased; finding the people to expertly manage those tools can be difficult. Security is often discussed in broad terms, but it is the detailed knowledge of how solutions work and the ability to advise and guide the business beyond the basic set up that is crucial.

The Solution
To ensure they are hiring individuals who are experience in security businesses must improve their hiring strategies, starting with a strong and effective job description. The job description should be written to the prospective candidate and should take into consideration how the candidate may view and respond.

A job description should not make an experienced prospective candidate feel underqualified. The offered compensation must match the level of expertise the business is looking for. Additionally, it is important to look for specific certifications, such as CISSP and CISM for mid- to senior-level positions. Additional specific certifications include CISA for audit skills and Tigershcheme for penetration testing.

Finally, a business should look for an employee who has security experience, and determine what that experience level is. Have they taken the lead on difficult projects, or have they been in a support or assistant capacity? What specific skills do they hold, and how do those skills meet your security needs?

The Protelligent Way
If you are one of the many businesses that are still looking for a security expert, or can’t afford to hire one of your own, you can improve your security strategy by utilizing an existing security framework rather than trying to develop your own. Protelligent’s Premonition^™ Security Suite provides a managed security service with proven results. In addition, Protelligent allows you to have an IT Security Expert company as part of your staff with all the benefits of the Protelligent team backing you up. Click here to learn more.