The shortage of cybersecurity workers internationally is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. While the numbers vary widely depending on the source, most agree that at least 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals are needed to fill the current worldwide talent gap. Nearly a million of those open cybersecurity positions are found in the U.S.
Why has cybersecurity become such a huge issue? The answer, in short, is because cyber threats are rising at an alarming rate. In 2023 alone, there was a 72% climb in the number of data breaches experienced by organizations around the world, many of which trickle to impact individual consumers.
These cyber breaches are caused, in part, by the number of potential access points cyber attackers can now exploit. The growth in technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and predictive analysis is enabling cyber criminals to leverage increasingly complex and unpredictable attacks.
Cybersecurity threats due to employees and others authorized to access an organization’s system are also on the rise. ISC2, a nonprofit organization for cyber professionals, found that 52% of organizations it recently surveyed report an increase in insider incidents caused by bad actors or employees who have had their access hijacked by cyber criminals.
This situation is further complicated by the fact that many organizations have faced cybersecurity-related workforce cutbacks, resulting largely in layoffs within their IT teams. Since early 2023, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Spotify alone have laid off more than a quarter of a million workers in response to slow growth and investor demands to cut costs.
To counter increased cybersecurity threats, many organizations have turned to traditional recruitment enticements – offering on-the-job training, signing bonuses, and a wide range of benefits to attract well-trained IT workers. Sadly, they have done little to mitigate the bigger issue: employers need qualified new cyber hires to be able to hit the ground running.
While there is no magic pill to remedy this situation, a new program in Maryland potentially could help.
The Cyber Workforce Accelerator, developed by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and Baltimore-based BCR Cyber, is placing BCR Series 3000 Cyber Ranges in the state’s 16 community colleges, enabling them to provide access to interactive, experiential training and simulated cyber technology to thousands of potential cybersecurity workers.
For the Cyber Workforce Accelerator, BCR Cyber created a public-private consortium of more than 35 cybersecurity companies and government agencies to steer course content development and recruit entry-level employees trained at the community college cyber ranges. Soon, each community college will have a center with five workstations at which students will complete approximately 40 hours of training for their capstone work, followed by a live experience with up to 10 hours of testing in simulated cyber threats.
To pay for the initiative, the Cyber Workforce Accelerator received a $936,000 award from Maryland’s Department of Commerce and leveraged $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending obtained by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris van Hollen. The grant award facilitated the procurement, configuration, and deployment of the cyber ranges, as well as required community college and server facility infrastructure upgrades, enhancements, and staff training.
While the funding is clearly essential, the real key to the Cyber Workforce Accelerator succeeding – and potentially providing a national model that could significantly expand the country’s cybersecurity workforce – is the community colleges themselves. Organizers note that community colleges often work with companies, government agencies, and other industry partners to develop curriculum that is up-to-date on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices. By partnering with organizations in the cyber space, community colleges can ensure that students receive the relevant skills and certifications that employers are seeking. Strategic relationships with these employer organizations can also lead to internships, job placements, and career advancement.
Beyond this, many community colleges throughout the U.S. already offer (or can readily adapt their curricula to offer) specialized cybersecurity degree programs covering a variety of cyber-related topics, from network security and digital forensics to compliance and governance. Through business partnerships, these same community colleges can provide (or already are providing) training programs to prepare learners for industry certifications, such as CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA A+.
Most community colleges also offer flexible learning options to accommodate both full-time students and working professionals. Online courses, satellite locations, and evening schedules make cybersecurity education more accessible to a wider audience – and help in expanding the talent pool. And for those seeking higher education degrees in cybersecurity, many community colleges have established transfer agreements with four-year universities so learners can transfer their credits to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the industry.
Finally, it is important to note that cybersecurity companies are no different from other businesses and have made a significant effort to recruit and hire more women and minorities. Because many community colleges tend to serve a diverse student population, they are well-positioned to increase diversity in the cyber industry.
The bottom line here is that we must foster a culture of cybersecurity in this country because cybersecurity impacts everyone in some way or at some point. Organizations that can’t find or retain qualified, skilled workers to fill cybersecurity positions are likely to experience losses in productivity due to data breaches. Moreover, companies that cannot guarantee that their data is safe are likely to encounter a significant decline in consumer confidence in making online purchases. Cyberattacks to date have revealed billions of individuals’ data records and cost billions of dollars.
Clearly, the stakes are high. And while community colleges are not the only answer to tackling the cybersecurity challenge, they do represent a viable means for creating more interest in cybersecurity and training more individuals to prepare for careers in cybersecurity. By offering quality education, vocational training, and immersive learning environments, community colleges are uniquely qualified to usher in the next generation of cybersecurity professionals – and in doing so, help in narrowing the cybersecurity talent gap.
