Why now is the time to consider a career in cybersecurity

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While the outlook for some business sectors shows uncertainty in the current economic environment, Canada’s cybersecurity sector remains a beacon of hope for prospective tech careers. And there are a number of resources to help enter the field or achieve career growth as a security professional. According to the (ISC) 2 2022 Cyber Workforce Report, there is a global shortage of around 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals, an increase from last year’s 2.7 million. While rising cyberattacks require the workforce to expand to keep up with cyber risks, there is a significant shortage of qualified candidates. As a result, the cybersecurity skills gap has real-world consequences, impacting businesses’ reputations and having severe financial implications.

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For example, a recent global research study, which included respondents from Canada, showed that 80 per cent of organizations surveyed had suffered at least one cybersecurity breach that could be attributed to a lack of cybersecurity skills or awareness.

Organizations have a steep price to pay when it comes to cybersecurity breaches, and in 2023, the risk will only grow. Cybersecurity is something that impacts every organization across Canada, regardless of size. Attacks will be more targeted and effective as threat actors prepare in advance with intelligence-gathering techniques. This knowledge could include the target’s security schema, key security personnel, the number of servers, known vulnerabilities and even compromised credentials available for sale — everything they need for a highly targeted and effective attack.

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The silver lining of the increased risk of cyberattacks is that cybersecurity professionals will continue to be in high demand. Without access to qualified talent, businesses and even critical infrastructure and services are at risk. For these reasons, the focus on talent recruitment and retention to address the talent shortage has reached the boardroom.

Decision-makers believe employees with technology-focused certifications make a positive impact, which is why most organizations are willing to pay for the training and certification of their employees. Access to training provides two-fold benefits: providing it to existing employees helps pave the way for advancement, while offering it to new hires helps expand the talent pool. This presents an array of opportunities for job seekers considering a career change or security professionals looking to upskill.

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There’s a role in cybersecurity for everyone, whether you have a technical background or not. Soft skills, such as leadership, collaboration and interpersonal communication, are equally valued. Several training options are also available to kickstart a career in cybersecurity, and there are different career pathways to obtaining the technical skills needed to become a cybersecurity specialist.

While there’s the more traditional route of getting a degree in cybersecurity or computer science, there also is cybersecurity training and certifications available to help individuals both advance and learn new cyber skills.

The Fortinet Training Institute, which has a significant presence in Canada, offers industry-recognized cybersecurity courses for varying levels of experience ranging from beginner to advanced with a focus on narrowing the skills gap. As part of Fortinet’s commitment to close the cybersecurity skills gap by training one million people by 2026, its self-paced courses are available for free to anyone interested.

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In addition, there are excellent opportunities in cybersecurity for women and other underrepresented populations, particularly as the sector works to diversify its workforce. Several organizations are looking to narrow the skills gap by broadening the talent pool to include underrepresented groups, including women and minority groups.

While women make up almost half the global population, they represent only a quarter of the cybersecurity workforce. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) goals can help organizations focus on actively recruiting women, new graduates and people of colour to help fill open cybersecurity roles.

Through the Fortinet Training Institute’s Education Outreach program, for example, Fortinet forges collaborations with non-profits focused on attracting more women, veterans and other untapped talent pools into the cyber workforce by making its training accessible to them. Students are also a big part of this effort, working to foster future cyber leaders.

For Canadian job seekers, the cybersecurity sector continues to provide exciting opportunities across various career options — even in the face of a slowing economy — as organizations need to bolster their cybersecurity teams to respond to the ever-evolving threat landscape.

While the reality of the cybersecurity skills gap persists, those looking for a rewarding career opportunity in the new year will find cybersecurity an attractive option to explore.

This story was provided by Fortinet for commercial purposes.