Companies have had to rely on cloud-based applications to stay afloat in the last eighteen months as the number of remote workers has increased. According to Fortinet and Cybersecurity Insiders’ recent Application Security Report, 48 percent of respondents had more than 100 unique applications running in their environment, while 26 percent had more than 500 unique applications. The present issues that security teams face when it comes to safeguarding applications have been exacerbated by the fast proliferation of applications. (fortinet network firewall)
At the same time, less than half of businesses claim they are very or extremely confident in the security of their applications. With an average of 25 application upgrades per month, multiplied over so many applications, the attack surface for businesses continues to evolve and increase at a breakneck pace, and businesses are struggling to keep up. Professionals with cloud security abilities are in higher demand than ever before, yet they’re still hard to come by. What can businesses do to fill these critical positions and keep one step ahead of rogue actors?
The skills gap continues to exist.(fortinet network firewall)
One of the most significant challenges that businesses have when it comes to safeguarding their web apps is a shortage of competent staff. Many survey respondents believe that their teams now lack the resources to keep up with the evolving and sophisticated threat landscape. When it comes to safeguarding online applications, 46 percent of the studied organisations cite a lack of competent employees as the most significant impediment.
This is a significant issue in the security business. According to (ISC)2’s 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, there is a 3.12 million professional deficit. And the pandemic has compounded this, with cloud management and cybersecurity ranked first and second, respectively, in a recent research on the most significant gaps that businesses are aware of.
Existing employees’ cyber hygiene is being improved.(fortinet network firewall)
Not only do organisations lack specific skill sets, but 43 percent of respondents to the Application Security Report also mentioned a problem with employee security awareness. As a result,we should give all employees the extensive training in recognising and reporting suspected cyber behaviour, exercising cyber hygiene, and securing their personal devices and home networks. Employees should receive security training as part of their onboarding process and at regular intervals throughout their employment so that the material remains current and relevant. Organizations should also maintain their training current, including any new security protocols that may be required.
Individuals, particularly remote workers, can be trained on how to be aware of strange requests, remain a safe distance online, and use basic security tools and procedures to help CISOs construct a frontline of defence at their network’s most vulnerable edge.
Increasing the pool of available talent
Cyber hygiene and training for current employees are important, but they are only one part of the puzzle. Strong cloud security also necessitates a shift in employment practises. Recruiters and hiring managers used to swiftly dismiss candidates who didn’t have a computer science background or otherwise didn’t match the standard mould of a cybersecurity professional. This approach cannot persist, given how swiftly the field is developing. Organizations can increase their talent pools and play an active part in bridging the skills gap by broadening their searches.
As a result, companies must consider not only people with traditional IT backgrounds, but also people who are eager to learn and improve. This is a fantastic opportunity for women and minorities to break into the industry. Women and minorities may add tremendous value to security teams by bringing various viewpoints, regardless of whether they studied computer science or social sciences. More varied teams perform better than their homogeneous counterparts, according to research. Diverse perspectives from various educational and professional experiences can aid teams in piecing together the complicated puzzles that fraudsters construct.
This strategy will necessitate a commitment to education. Organizations must give suitable resources to assist individuals attain their full potential, and applicants must be willing to take advantage of this chance. For example, organisations such as ICMCP and WiCyS collaborate with private businesses to create a variety of training and mentorship programmes for women and minorities seeking to enter or advance in the field of cybersecurity. Employees can continue to develop their technical and non-technical abilities through training and certification programmes in the workplace. These tactics allow those who have the ability and desire to succeed in an industry that desperately needs them to succeed.
On the horizon, there is hope.
The cybersecurity skills gap continues to be a problem for businesses; cloud skills are especially in demand, as more companies adopt cloud apps, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud strategies. According to data from a number of recent surveys, businesses are facing both rising cyber dangers and a continuing talent shortage. Continuous training for all employees and a new hiring mindset that is willing to hire those who may not completely meet the job description but have the talent and will to succeed in this field can help organisations bridge the cloud security gap.
As part of a smart cloud deployment plan, organisations should consider installing a comprehensive, integrated, and automated cybersecurity mesh platform to assist ease the skills gap. This type of platform simplifies operational challenges by allowing for consistent policies across on-premises and cloud instances, as well as deep visibility and security. This effectively allows businesses to expand their skill pool alternatives when hiring and enhance productivity while decreasing the effort of existing staff.
Source: fortinet network firewall
