(ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage Continues to Grow Worldwide, to 1.8 Million in Five Years

Attracting and Retaining Millennial Workers Vital to Closing the Gap

      Clearwater FL, February 13, 2017 — According to new research from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education™ (the Center) — part of its eighth Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) - sponsored by (ISC)²^® and Booz Allen Hamilton, a serious talent shortage looms in the information security workforce. The survey and analysis, which includes feedback from over 19,000 information security professionals worldwide, indicates that employers must look to millennials to fill the projected 1.8 million information security workforce gap that is estimated to exist by 2022.  This is an increase of 20 percent from the 1.5 million worker shortfall forecast by the 2015 GISWS.

“For years, we’ve known about the impending shortage of the information security workforce, as evidenced by our study year over year,” said David Shearer, CEO, (ISC)². “For the first time, we’re taking a deep dive into the millennial respondents, and we’re finding that they want different things in terms of job satisfaction and career paths. They truly are the future of cybersecurity, and I believe they hold the key to filling the well-publicized information security workforce gap.”     

One of the largest studies of the information security profession ever conducted, the 2017 GISWS was carried out from May through September 2016 by Frost & Sullivan, using a web-based survey. Since its first release in 2004, the GISWS provides a complete profile of the information security workforce, with a clear understanding of pay scales, skills gaps, training requirements, corporate hiring practices, security budgets, career progression and corporate attitudes toward information security that is of use to governments and corporations, hiring managers, and information security professionals.

The 2017 study will feature a series of reports and analyses, with the first analysis focused on the  millennial respondents. Key takeaways for employers and hiring managers to attract and retain the millennial workforce include:

 -Millennials want career development, including:

           -Sponsoring mentorship and leadership programs

           -Paying for attendance at industry events

          -Offering training programs

         - Employer-paid professional certifications and association memberships  

 -Millennial workers are more likely to change employers than other generations.

 -They are more likely to aspire to become security consultants than move into managerial roles within an organization.

 -Millennials value career development opportunities and are more likely to pay for them, if not offered by their employers.

  -Salaries were not the highest priority for millennials. However, they received higher salary increases than other generations.

“Millennials will and in many cases are already critical players who enable the success of our collective cyber defense,” said Angela Messer, a Booz Allen executive vice president, and the firm’s Cyber innovation business leader and Cyber talent development champion. “To attract, retain and empower these millennials, it’s clear from the Global Information Security Workforce Study that our industry must be innovative not only in its tradecraft, but also in how we support this next generation of information security professionals. At Booz Allen, we provide opportunities for skills development by offering traditional training and covering certification or advanced degree program fees, as well as non-traditional learning opportunities, such as our Kaizen capture the flag platform and hacker space labs.”  

Executives from (ISC)², the Center for Cyber Safety and Education™, SunTrust Bank and Booz Allen Hamilton will present findings from the 2017 (ISC)² Global Information Security Workforce Study at the RSA conference in San Francisco. A panel discussion entitled, “Empower, Encourage, Recruit: Changing Our Approach to Building the Workforce,” will be held on Thursday, February 16 from 1:30-2:15 p.m.

The 2017 GISWS Millennial analysis can be viewed here: https://iamcybersafe.org/research_millennials/

##

About the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s Global Information Security Workforce Study

The first release of data from the Global Information Security Workforce Study, the Millennials – the Next Generation of Information Security Workers analysis was sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, and is the first of a series to be released by the Center in 2017 as part the new format for the bi-annual Global Information Security Workforce Study. Several reports will be released throughout the year with new, previously unpublished information and insights about the global information security workforce. The next report will focus on women in cybersecurity, and it will be released in early March.

About (ISC)²

(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP^®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 120,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation– The Center for Cyber Safety and Education^TM. For more information on (ISC)², visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook. 

© 2017 (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CCFP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP and CBK are registered marks, of (ISC)², Inc.

About the Center for Cyber Safety and Education

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center), formerly (ISC)² Foundation, is a nonprofit charitable trust committed to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. The Center works to ensure that people across the globe have a positive and safe experience online through their educational programs, scholarships and research. Visit www.iamcybersafe.org.

About Booz Allen Hamilton

Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) has been at the forefront of strategy and technology for more than 100 years. Today, the firm provides management and technology consulting and engineering services to leading Fortune 500 corporations, governments, and not-for-profits across the globe. Booz Allen partners with public and private sector clients to solve their most difficult challenges through a combination of consulting, analytics, mission operations, technology, systems delivery, cybersecurity, engineering, and innovation expertise.

With international headquarters in McLean, Virginia, the firm employs more than 23,000 people globally, and had revenue of $5.41 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2016. To learn more, visit BoozAllen.com.

Media Contacts

For (ISC)²  

Maria Forrest
Senior Manager of Corporate Communications
mforrest@isc2.org
856-383-1511

For Booz Allen Hamilton

Joseph Campbell 
Lead Associate, External Relations 
Campbell_Joseph@bah.com 
702-377-4422