CyberSeek™ Data Confirms the Ever-Present Need to Expand Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline
New industry-specific information available in 2020 update of platform
Cybersecurity professionals remain in high demand by employers across the United States and in virtually every industry, according to new data published this month on CyberSeek™, a free source of comprehensive cybersecurity workforce analytics and career planning information.
U.S. employers advertised nearly 508,000 job openings for cybersecurity workers between June 2019 through May 2020. This is in addition to the 922,720 workers employed in cybersecurity-related jobs in the same time period.
Created in 2016, CyberSeek is a joint initiative between the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Burning Glass Technologies, a leading provider of job market analytics and strategic intelligence; and CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the global technology industry.
“We are pleased to see the analysis in CyberSeek extended to help us better understand the workforce needs by industry sector,” said Rodney Petersen, director of NICE. “The 2019 Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce encourages the voluntary integration of the NICE Framework into training and workforce development efforts undertaken by private sector entities so the CyberSeek data will help us better understand and support the needs of private sector employers.”
The new CyberSeek data reveals that the supply of cybersecurity workers remains very low nationally, with the ratio of existing cybersecurity workers to cybersecurity job openings at 1.8. By comparison, the national average for all jobs is 3.7.
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“Remote work has been vital to the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and is likely to be equally vital in the economic recovery. Therefore, the need for cybersecurity professionals with the skills to secure our digital infrastructure remains very robust, even in the midst of the worst global pandemic in the last 100 years,” said Will Markow, managing director of human capital management and emerging technologies at Burning Glass Technologies.
In fact, the COVID-19 crisis has heightened awareness of the need for strong cyber defenses and skilled personnel.
“Cybersecurity professionals have always been vital to protecting our data, devices and networks, but their role has been elevated during the global pandemic,” said Randi Parker, senior director for partner engagement with Creating IT Futures, CompTIA’s leading charity. “CyberSeek is an example of the public/private collaboration that’s necessary to address the great need for more cybersecurity workers equipped with diverse skills and proven professional certifications.”
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Expanded Industry Data
CyberSeek’s interactive heat map of the country’s cybersecurity workforce has been expanded. In addition to providing data at the national, state and metro levels, and in the private and public sectors, the site now provides detailed information on the cybersecurity workforces in 19 different industries.1
The site also features an interactive Cybersecurity Career Pathway, identifying key jobs within cybersecurity; detailed information about the salaries, credentials and skillsets associated with each role; and common career advancement opportunities.
CyberSeek’s career information is aligned with the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework). This framework ensures a common language for identifying cybersecurity work roles and skill requirements, providing employers and employees with a handy guide for plotting career progression.