In Germany alone, there are around 150.000 unfilled positions in the entire IT sector. Accordingly, according to the current Kaspersky survey, three out of ten companies (31 percent) in Europe say their cybersecurity team is understaffed.
A lack of practical skills causes a loss of time
For half of the companies, it takes over six months to fill vacancies. While it is still easiest to find suitable personnel for junior positions - in 36 percent of companies in Europe within one to three months - the shortage of personnel is particularly evident in positions with a high qualification profile: 31 percent require six months to three quarters of a year to fill, a quarter (26 percent) even more than a year.
When asked about the reasons for the vacancies, the candidates most often cited a lack of practical skills despite having certified qualifications (57 percent). Likewise, high personnel costs make it difficult for over half (52 percent) to fill vacant positions. Other common barriers to employment include a lack of experience and rapid technology change (42 percent each) as well as background checks carried out (39 percent). Further occupation barriers:
- Time constraints (short-term needs): 33 percent
- Global competition for skilled workers: 30 percent
- Rapidly evolving threat landscape: 28 percent
- Cultural fit: 27 percent
- Specialized roles (niche requirements): 23 percent
“In order to equip employees with the necessary knowledge and skills, companies not only invest a lot of time in recruiting, but also in additional training for the team as a whole,” comments Waldemar Bergstreiser, General Manager Central Europe at Kaspersky. “This is especially true for large companies and organizations that have the necessary resources and must comply with numerous local standards and regulations. Small and medium-sized companies, on the other hand, are well advised to outsource their cybersecurity to providers of managed security services (MSSP) in order to be able to close personnel gaps in a short time and without loss.”
Kaspersky recommendations for adequate cyber protection despite staffing gaps
- Managed security services such as Kaspersky Managed Detection and Response and/or Kaspersky Incident Response.
- Regularly inform IT and InfoSec employees about current cyber threats. Kaspersky Security Awareness can help with this.
- Platform solutions such as Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response relieve IT security teams.
About Kaspersky Kaspersky is an international cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky's in-depth threat intelligence and security expertise serve as the basis for innovative security solutions and services to protect companies, critical infrastructures, governments and private users worldwide. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection as well as a range of specialized security solutions and services to defend against complex and evolving cyber threats. Kaspersky technologies protect over 400 million users and 250.000 corporate customers. More information about Kaspersky can be found at www.kaspersky.com/