Page 127 - Cyber Defense eMagazine April 2023

Here are just a few ways IT companies are using automation to their advantage when it comes to
cybersecurity:

● Offer customers 24/7 support solutions

● Streamline project management and automate routine tasks to increase employee satisfaction

● Improve business insights through real-time data capture and analysis

● Decrease unnecessary threat alerts and service calls

● Speed up threat detection and response times

While the list above is a great start, AI technology will continue to take on more responsibility in the

future and hopefully drastically reduce the global pain felt by the IT skills gap.

Internal Training Programs to Upskill Employees

It’s also important for companies to invest in an internal process for professional development
opportunities to help widen the IT skills gap in cybersecurity. The benefits here are two-fold:

1. It shows employees that their employers are invested in their long-term success.

2. Employers benefit from a workforce with new and improved capabilities that enable them to tackle a
wider variety of tasks in the short term.

The beauty of these programs is that they can be linked to specific needs or areas of specialization.

For example, by linking cybersecurity training to specific requirements or career plans (CompTIA, ISC2,
etc.), organizations can craft and mold existing talent to fit their needs. This is particularly essential in
areas like cybersecurity where roles are significantly outstripping supply.

Expanding Hiring Pools

The diversity and inclusion topic can be a loaded one because it forces tech employers to take a good,
hard look in the mirror. IT companies need to be honest about whether or not they’re taking advantage
of the entire tech talent pool available.

Many minority groups find themselves underrepresented in the IT world. Part of the problem may be that
employees and executives in the space have a massive disconnect on this issue. Only 24% of women
and minorities experience a feeling of belonging within the IT industry compared to 75% of executives
who feel like they do belong. What can IT leaders do to make these individuals feel more comfortable?

127