Page 27 - Cyber Warnings

Finding 1 million-plus new workers won’t happen from one single initiative. It’s going to take the
whole industry — including the government, schools, organizations and companies — to create
new pathways to “one of the best jobs out there.”

Initiatives Underway to Build a Larger Workforce

There are already several industry, company and organization initiatives underway to attract,
train and hire more security professionals. Here is a partial overview of some of the initiatives
underway — and leading the way to a larger and stronger workforce.

Industry Collaboration

In April 2014, a dozen leading cybersecurity organizations were invited to convene at RSA
Conference 2015 for a first-of-its-kind meeting. The purpose was to begin working toward the
establishment of a universal framework for resolving the shortfall of qualified people in the
cybersecurity profession.

The group identified some of the contributing factors to this employee shortfall including:

 A disconnect between what skill sets businesses ask for from human resources and
what they actually need

 The need for common definitions of job descriptions and responsibilities

 Recognizing the U.S. versus global differences in job definitions and staffing
requirements

 The need for all groups within the industry to collaborate to define the profession

Company Initiatives

Symantec is one of several companies working to solve the security worker shortage. In an
effort to help fill the job gap, Symantec launched Symantec Cyber Career Connection (SC3) in
2014. The focus of the program, according to CEO Michael Brown, is on training underserved
populations like women, youth, people of color, and veterans to help get them to a level where
they can get the education, training and certifications they need for cybersecurity jobs. The
program addresses four key challenges across the workforce pipeline:

 Excite. The program supports non-profits and educators in raising awareness of the
long-term career opportunities of cybersecurity.

 Recruit, train, and certify. It recruits underserved populations into the field of
cybersecurity, and offers industry-recognized training programs implemented through a
network of partners.

27 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – March 2016 Edition
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