Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2019

100
Out-Smarting the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage
By Ofer Or, vp of Product, Tufin
Organizations across the globe are struggling to recruit the talent they need for their open security roles.
Unfortunately, the problem is expected to worsen. In fact, Harvard Business Review first identified the
problem in 2017, stating that the issue had actually been top of mind in some organizations since 2015.
Fast forward four years later and current research shows that more than half of global companies are at
risk of cybersecurity attacks as a result of the shortage.
Following are several ideas on how to combat this problem, ranging from internal changes, to technologybased
tactics that organizations can begin implementing today.
Manage Network Complexity
An organization’s cybersecurity needs are directly related to the size of its network. In other words, the
more complex and fragmented the network, the more work that must be done to protect it. As
complexity increases, visibility and control remain critical but become even more difficult to attain.
One approach to combatting the cybersecurity skills gap is to examine areas where your own organization
could reduce the workload while maintaining or increasing efficiency and thus requiring fewer man-hours
to complete. While reducing the number of vendors and platforms is typically not an option in large
organizations, a few considerations that could streamline the management of your complex hybrid IT
environment include: