No Experience Needed: Addressing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap by Expanding Career Pathways

The security workforce gap stands at 2.72 million professionals globally, and the truth is that while there are plenty of available positions, there aren’t enough qualified individuals to meet the industry’s high demand and exacting standards. To make substantial progress toward narrowing this gap, the industry must widen its horizons by looking for talent who may not have direct experience but show an aptitude to learn on the job—such as those working in business, arts, or engineering. Bringing students, young professionals and career changers into cybersecurity careers at an entry level and setting them up on a pathway to success is essential for creating the growth the industry so desperately needs. However, the challenge for hiring managers becomes: How do we assess candidates’ aptitude for and base knowledge of cybersecurity concepts if they have no direct experience? Until now, the cybersecurity industry has lacked a clear pathway for new entrants and career changers—unless a candidate had IT experience, it has been difficult for candidates to get their foot in the door. In this presentation, Clar Rosso, CEO of (ISC)², the world’s largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals, makes the case for establishing a clear and flexible pathway to cybersecurity careers, providing the audience with research-based insights, strategies, and tactics to galvanize efforts and bring more students and career changers into the profession.