Companies are struggling to hire new cybersecurity talent, according to a ISACA report.
The report, titled State of Cyber Security 2017: Current Trends in Workforce Development, surveyed 633 cybersecurity and information security professionals who hold ISACA's Certified Information Security Manager or Cybersecurity Nexus Practitioner designations.
Here are five things to know.
- More than 25 percent of companies report it can take six months or longer to fill priority cybersecurity and information security positions.
- The majority (59 percent) of respondents report that they receive at least five applications for each cybersecurity opening, while only 13 percent report receiving 20 or more. In comparison, most corporate jobs have between 60 and 250 job applications.
- When evaluating applications, 37 percent of respondents report that fewer than 25 percent of candidates are qualified to keep companies secure.
- Over half (55 percent) of respondents report that hands-on experience is the most important cybersecurity qualification. However, 25 percent of respondents worry that today's candidates lack technical skills.
- The majority (69 percent) of respondents noted that their companies typically require security certification when filling a job opening. These respondents say certification is equally as important as formal education.
Click here to view more of the report's findings.