Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan
- The demand for qualified cybersecurity professionals far exceeds supply. As a result, organizations are struggling to protect their data against the evolving threat landscape.
- It is a constant challenge to know what skills will be needed in the future, and when and how to acquire them.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Plan for the inevitable. All industries are expected to be affected by the talent gap in the coming years. Plan ahead to address your organization’s future needs.
- Base skills acquisition decisions on the five key factors to define skill needs. Create an impact scale for the five key factors (data criticality, durability, availability, urgency, and frequency) that reflects your organizational strategy, initiatives, and pressures.
- A skills gap will always exist to some degree. The threat landscape is constantly changing, and your workforce’s skill sets must evolve as well.
Impact and Result
- Organizations must align their security initiatives to talent requirements such that business objectives are achieved and the business is cyber ready.
- Identify if there are skill gaps in your current workforce.
- Decide how you’ll acquire needed skills based on characteristics of need for each skill.
Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should develop a technical skills acquisition strategy, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan – Phases 1-3
1. Identify skill needs for target state
Identify what skills will be needed in your future state.
- Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan – Phase 1: Identity Skill Needs for Target State
- Security Initiative Skills Guide
- Skills Gap Prioritization Tool
2. Identify technical skill gaps
Align role requirements with future initiative skill needs.
- Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan – Phase 2: Identify Technical Skill Gaps
- Current Workforce Skills Assessment
- Technical Skills Workbook
- Information Security Compliance Manager
- IT Security Analyst
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Security Administrator
- Security Architect
3. Develop a sourcing plan for future work roles
Acquire skills based on the impact of the five key factors.
- Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Skills Sourcing Plan for Future Work Roles – Phase 3: Develop a Sourcing Plan for Future Work Roles
Workshop: Close the InfoSec Skills Gap: Develop a Technical Skills Sourcing Plan
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Identify Skill Needs for Target State
The Purpose
Determine the skills needed in your workforce and align them to your organization’s security roadmap.
Key Benefits Achieved
Insight on what skills your organization will need in the future.
Activities
1.1 Understand the importance of aligning security initiatives skill needs with workforce requirements.
1.2 Identify needed skills for future initiatives.
1.3 Prioritize the initiative skill gaps.
Outputs
Security Initiative Skills Guide
Skills Gap Prioritization Tool
2 Define Technical Skill Requirements
The Purpose
Identify and create technical skill requirements for key work roles that are needed to successfully execute future initiatives.
Key Benefits Achieved
Increased understanding of the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.
Standardization of technical skill requirements of current and future work roles.
Activities
2.1 Assign work roles to the needs of your future environment.
2.2 Discuss the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.
2.3 Develop technical skill requirements for current and future work roles.
Outputs
Skills Gap Prioritization Tool
Technical Skills Workbook
Current Workforce Skills Assessment
3 Acquire Technical Skills
The Purpose
Assess your current workforce against their role’s skill requirements.
Discuss five key factors that aid acquiring skills.
Key Benefits Achieved
A method to acquire skills in future roles.
Activities
3.1 Continue developing technical skill requirements for current and future work roles.
3.2 Conduct Current Workforce Skills Assessment.
3.3 Discuss methods of acquiring skills.
3.4 Develop a plan to acquire skills.
Outputs
Technical Skills Workbook
Current Workforce Skills Assessment
Current Workforce Skills Assessment
Technical Skills Workbook
Current Workforce Skills Assessment
Technical Skills Workbook
Current Workforce Skills Assessment
4 Plan to Execute Action Plan
The Purpose
Assist with communicating the state of the skill gap in your organization.
Key Benefits Achieved
Strategy on how to acquire skills needs of the organization.
Activities
4.1 Review skills acquisition plan.
4.2 Discuss training and certification opportunities for staff.
4.3 Discuss next steps for closing the skills gap.
4.4 Debrief.
Outputs
Technical Skills Workbook