New Fortinet research reveals escalating cyber risks due to the ongoing talent shortage. The report revealed that organisations in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced an average of three breaches last year.

John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet, indicated: “The cybersecurity talent shortage is one of the top challenges putting organisations at risk, as clearly demonstrated by the results of the latest Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report from Fortinet. In today’s climate, organisations must choose products that introduce automation to offload overworked teams while continuing to focus on upskilling and cybersecurity training.”

Key findings from the global report include:

• The cybersecurity skills shortage has contributed to critical IT positions not being filled.

• Cybersecurity remains a priority for boards of directors and there is executive demand for increased IT security headcount.

• Technology-focused certifications are highly regarded by employers, serving as validation of skill sets.

• Organisations recognise the advantage of recruiting and retaining diverse talent to help address the skills shortage, but doing so has presented a challenge.

An estimated 3.14 million professionals are needed to fill the global cybersecurity workforce gap. At the same time, the 2023 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report found that the number of organisations experiencing five or more breaches jumped by 53 per cent from 2021 to 2022. One repercussion of this is that many short-staffed cybersecurity teams are burdened and strained as they try to keep up with thousands of daily threat alerts and attempt to manage disparate solutions to properly protect their organisation’s devices and data.

The report also suggested that employers recognise how training and certifications can benefit their organisations in addressing the skills gap.

To help alleviate the challenges resulting from the skills shortage, Fortinet has pledged to train one million people in cybersecurity by 2026.

— Fortinet