Cybersecurity’s Disastrous Game of Chicken

There’s no defined pathway for a cybersecurity career — here’s why that’s a problem, and how to solve it.

Not too long ago I presented at my first Meetup focused on cyber careers. The more than 30 people in the audience were mostly men of all ages (more on this below), with backgrounds ranging from from first-time students to transitioning IT professionals. Some were frustrated that the time and money they spent to get a cybersecurity degree hadn’t resulted in any significant job prospects. Others knew they were interested in “breaking into” cybersecurity but didn’t know where to start or what part of the industry they should even pursue.

Unlike professions like medicine or law, cybersecurity still lacks an established set of skills, degrees, and qualifications that define what a career in the industry looks like. The result: confused candidates and frustrated employers who struggle to reconcile paper qualifications with the skills they really need in their workplaces. In my own career I’ve interviewed lots of candidates that had the relevant certifications, but they still couldn’t communicate tough technical concepts or demonstrate their ability to perform required job functions. The future of the cybersecurity workforce has turned into a game of chicken — who is going to move first and build a pathway — the supply (educators) or the demand (employers)?

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