Press Releases

New data and tools support cybersecurity workforce expansion efforts

SEATTLE – Demand for cybersecurity talent continues to outpace supply, according to the latest data from CyberSeek™, the joint initiative of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) NICE program, Lightcast and CompTIA.

CyberSeek data confirms a persistently tight cybersecurity labor market with a supply-demand ratio of 69% (69 workers for every 100 job openings). Employers deployed 663,434 job postings for cybersecurity positions over the past 12 months, building on the growing base of 1.1 million U.S. cybersecurity professionals[1].

The gap between the number of cybersecurity jobs currently demanded and the number of workers available to fill those jobs stands at an estimated 466,225[2].

“We are pleased to reveal some of the data trends at this year’s NICE Conference with the theme of Resetting Expectations: Creating Accessible Cybersecurity Career Pathways,” said Rodney Petersen, director of NICE. “In addition to celebrating the steady growth of cybersecurity workers since 2013, we are also excited to introduce skill-based job descriptions for each cybersecurity role in the career pathway that supports the NICE Strategic Plan’s objective to align qualification requirements to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.”

Key new features added to CyberSeek include:

• Historical demand and supply data with job openings, employment and supply/demand ratios are available from 2010 to present.
• Market-optimized job descriptions to help employers create skill-based job descriptions for each cybersecurity role in the career pathway.
• Public sector cybersecurity job insights with breakouts at the federal, state and local levels.

“Despite increasing economic uncertainty, demand for cybersecurity professionals has continued its upward march,” said Will Markow, vice president of applied research at Lightcast. “Employers across the economy now recognize cybersecurity workers as essential, and expanding the cybersecurity talent pipeline remains one of the most critical workforce challenges of our time.”

CyberSeek’s alignment with the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity provides another layer of insight into skill needs across team, work roles and competency areas. The latest data shows the highest counts of employer job postings associated with the operate and maintain (525,608), securely provision (481,733) and oversee and govern (357,786) categories.

“Complex, intractable problems such as cybersecurity are never solved through good intention alone,” said Dr. James Stanger, chief technology evangelist, CompTIA. “We must remain committed to taking the small steps – both in expanding opportunity and removing barriers.”

CyberSeek’s interactive career pathway shows key jobs within cybersecurity, where they fit in the NICE Framework, common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role. A training provider tab allows users to connect directly to organizations providing training, education and industry-recognized certifications. Visit www.cyberseek.org to learn more.  For information about NICE, Lightcast and CompTIA, please see the project partner page on the CyberSeek site.