Cybersecurity leader mass resignations may be ahead

Cybersecurity talent is hard to find, and it may become even more challenging for health systems in the next several months.

In a survey of 521 critical national infrastructure decision-makers in the U.K., cybersecurity service company Bridewell found 95 percent report issues that may drive them to leave their current position within the next year, according to a report in ZDNet. The majority of those surveyed cited either viewing a breach as inevitable and wanting to leave before it happens or stress and burnout affecting their personal lives. Department heads also cited "unrealistic expectations" as the reason for wanting to leave.

Four other findings from the report:

1. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they believe a ransomware attack will significantly disrupt their organization's operations in the next year.

2. Eighty-seven percent of respondents are afraid of losing their job due to a cyberattack, which 72 percent said have increased since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year.

3. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said it is harder to recruit cybersecurity talent because of the increased skill level required and high demand for those skills.

4. More remote work and cloud migrations are also adding stress to cybersecurity leaders.

The U.S. job market for cybersecurity talent is becoming more competitive. CyberSeek, a joint venture between the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, Emsi Burning Glass and CompTIA, reported there were 714,548 job postings for cybersecurity roles from April 2021 to April 2022, and 40 percent of those posts were listed during the first quarter of this year.

Demand for cybersecurity jobs jumped 43 percent during the 12-month period analyzed, compared with 18 percent across the entire employment market. Cybersecurity skills are also in demand for general IT roles. Over the last year, the demand for cybersecurity skills in the IT manager/director position grew 224 percent; it was up 169 percent at the program manager level.

"The growth of job openings and steady increases of people employed in cybersecurity-related roles is an indication that cybersecurity is becoming more important and urgent for enterprises as they protect their organizations and consumers from risks precipitated by the increase in remote workers, supply chain concerns and world events," said Rodney Petersen, director of NICE, which is led by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. "It also presents an opportunity to diversify the cybersecurity workforce and double down on efforts to support underserved communities."

There are enough cybersecurity workers in the U.S. to fill 66 only percent of the open roles, with the demand being greater in metropolitan areas. The stress and burnout coupled with the highly competitive job market can push up median wages at a time when many hospitals and health systems are tightening their belts financially. The average pay for an entry-level cybersecurity analyst is $77,027, according to salary.com, but could be as high as $91,155.

 

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