EXECUTIVE BIO

Practices and Innovation. “Flexibility is key. From broadening searches to include candidates without traditional degrees to providing support, training, and flexible schedules that attract and retain qualified talent, organisations can move the needle in strengthening their teams and closing skills gaps.”

The cybersecurity workforce has reached an all-time high, with an estimated 4.7 million professionals, but there’s still a global shortage of 3.4 million workers in this field, according to the 2022 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Demand for cybersecurity professionals in the United States continues to outstrip available talent, according to new research, which also demonstrates the profession is fragmenting into specialised

JONATHAN BRANDT

TITLE: DIRECTOR, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES AND INNOVATION

COMPANY: ISACA

LOCATION: UNITED STATES roles including penetration testers and threat analysts.

As Director of Professional Practices and Innovation, Jonathan Brandt leads development and implementation of ISACA’s content strategy to optimise the product offerings for IT-related professionals and enterprises in the IT, information security, emerging technology, risk, and privacy domains.

Cybersecurity workforce analytics platform CyberSeek discovered employer demand for cybersecurity staff grew 2.4 times faster than the overall rate for other roles across the US economy.

"Demand for cybersecurity talent has been accelerating for years, and employers are showing no signs of taking their foot off the gas," says Will Markow, Vice President of Applied Research at Lightcast. "That's why it is more important than ever to build robust talent pipelines to ensure a safer digital world. We can't accept leaving holes in our cybersecurity defences simply because we don't have enough trained workers to plug them."

Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap Cybersecurity can be difficult to recruit for because of the constant need for training and vigilance, explains

David Spillane, Systems Engineering Director at Fortinet.

“New technology can make previous cybersecurity systems less relevant, therefore professionals in the sector must remain up to date on the latest trends and innovation,” he explains. “The job also requires people who can remain composed under pressure, a soft skill that is hard to develop, and hence attracts a premium, once identified.

Executive Bio

DAVID SPILLANE

TITLE: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DIRECTOR

COMPANY: FORTINET

LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

With extensive experience in leading and building regional and global pre-sales/system engineering teams within start-up and leading vendor environments, Fortinet’s Systems Engineering Director, David Spillance, works in all aspects of digital transformation from automation, cloud, machine learning, cybersecurity, and orchestration.