Building a Skilled Cyber Security Workforce in Five Countries
Insights from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States
As societies become increasingly digital, cyber security has become a priority for individuals, companies and nations. The number of cyber attacks is exceeding defence capabilities, and one reason for this is the lack of an adequately skilled cyber security workforce. This report analyses the demand for cyber security professionals in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States using information contained in online job postings. The analysis looks at recent trends in the demand for workers in different types of cyber security roles, the geographical distribution of cyber security job postings, and the changing skill requirements for professionals in this field. The report also looks at the supply side, zooming in on the landscape of cyber security education and training programmes in England (United Kingdom). It describes the different types of programmes provided in further and higher education, the profile of learners in these programmes and their outcomes. Finally, the report also looks at policies and initiatives adopted in England to make cyber security education and training programmes more accessible and relevant. This report is part of a larger initiative examining the evolution of policies and experiences in the cyber security profession around the world.
Foreword
Cyber security breaches continue to significantly threaten governments, businesses and individuals worldwide. The demand for cyber security professionals has increased significantly in recent years around the world and is expected to continue to grow, and this trend has created shortages in labour markets in several countries. The first step in addressing skills shortage in the cyber security sector is to understand the supply and demand dynamics of cyber security skills. This information can be used by governments and organisations to identify their vulnerabilities and determine where additional resources are needed. By analysing job postings, trends in demand for cyber security professionals and the skills for creating a secure organisational environment can be identified. Meanwhile, studying the provision of cyber security education and training programmes provides insights into how the cyber security workforce is being developed and the potential misalignment between demand and supply.
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