Cybersecurity teams under strain, research finds

New research has suggested that just over half of cyber professionals feel that their budget is underfunded.

ISACA's State of Cyber data found that cybersecurity teams are under strain, as 61 per cent of European cybersecurity professionals said that their organisation’s cybersecurity team is understaffed.

ISACA is a global professional association helping individuals and organisations in their pursuit of digital trust.

Chris Dimitriadis, chief global strategy officer at ISACA, said: “In an increasingly complex threat landscape, it is vital that, as an industry, we overcome these hurdles of underfunding and under-staffed teams. 

"Without strong, skilled teams, the security resilience of whole ecosystems is at risk – leaving critical infrastructure vulnerable.”

He added: “The cybersecurity industry will massively benefit from a diverse range of people – each with different skills, experiences, and perspectives. This is the key to plugging the skills gap. Once talent enters the industry, businesses can then train and upskill new entrants on the job with cyber certifications and qualifications.” 

Staff and funding struggles are having an impact on wellbeing as 68 per cent felt that their role is more stressful now compared to five years ago, with 79 per cent putting this down to the increasingly complex threat landscape.

Two in five respondents said they are experiencing more cyberattacks when compared to a year ago, and 29 per cent think they are experiencing the same amount.

But respondents didn’t feel the number of attacks will be slowing down any time soon. 

Over half (58 per cent) state it is likely their organisation will experience a cyberattack in the next year. 

Just over 50 per cent of respondents said that soft skills are lacking the most amongst today’s cybersecurity professionals. 

Of the soft skills in question, 54 per cent felt that communication skills (e.g. speaking and listening skills) are most important, followed by problem-solving (53 per cent) and critical thinking (48 per cent). 

Mike Mellor, vice president of Security Engineering at Adobe, who sponsored the research, said: “With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, it’s essential for organisations to adopt secure authentication methods to strengthen their defences."