As the world increasingly goes digital, so too do the threats to our cybersecurity. And with these threats constantly evolving, it’s more important than ever to keep up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends and best practices. The talent pool for cybersecurity is shallow and the skills gap is real which can lead to what’s known as “brain drain.” Brain drain occurs when your best and brightest employees leave for greener pastures, leaving behind a less experienced team.
When it comes to the cybersecurity of their organization, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) have a lot to think about on a daily basis – from cybercrime to patch management, from board reports to data loss prevention. It can all seem like an endless list of concerns. But one of the most pressing issues CISOs deal with is configuring the right policies and having a succession plan in place.
Contributing to this pressure and concern are two major trends facing the cybersecurity job market. First, there is a shortage of skilled security professionals to fill positions across the globe; and second, there are fewer truly skilled professionals on existing teams, and there is a constant fear that they will leave. The CISO’s goal is to avoid losing these key employees, which also makes it difficult to have the energy to fill more open positions.
It’s no secret that the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a high-pressure, high-stakes position. And, according to recent statistics, it’s also a role with a high turnover rate, with the average CISO tenure ranging from 18 to 36 months, and even shorter in some cases.
Whether it’s for the sake of higher pay, dissatisfaction with organizational budgeting, or risk preferences, there is a lot of churn among top security executives.
The loss of top executives often leads to business instability and declining market opportunities. Brain drain is a very worrying issue. Faced with these headwinds, CISOs must constantly focus on where their information security teams are going and work hard to retain professionals. Here are some suggestions:
Invest in training and development: As the Chief Information Security Officer, one of your main responsibilities is to ensure that your team is properly trained and prepared for their careers. Providing training and development opportunities for your team members can be costly, but it is an investment that will pay off in the long run. Encourage employees to share their knowledge.
Provide opportunities for your team members to attend conferences, take online courses, or earn certifications. Also, keep in mind that learning should be a two-way street. Encourage employees to share their knowledge with others on the team. This will help create a culture of learning and security within the team.
CISOs need to spend time with team members and meet them face-to-face. While it’s hard, no investment is more important than an investment in your team members. This will ensure that they are up-to-date on the latest threats and can better defend against them.
Create a culture of learning and security: within their team. Encouraging employees to learn new things and keeping them up-to-date on the latest industry trends will help prevent them from getting bored and leaving for another company.
Organizations also need to create a culture of security, where employees feel comfortable reporting suspicious activity. This way, you can create a feedback loop that will help your organization stay one step ahead of the bad guys and address potential threats before they become serious problems.
Encourage curiosity: One of the main characteristics of great security professionals is curiosity. This can be cultivated through cross-training, which has many benefits including expanding the skills of individual team members and strengthening their work experience in any given area.
Foster a collaborative environment: Collaboration is essential in the cybersecurity field, as it allows professionals to share ideas and best practices. Information security technology is complex, and CISOs alone cannot solve all problems. Thus decentralizing responsibility, other team members will respect the leader.
Investing in the future leaders: This means dedicating time to coaching and mentoring their assistants and providing them with the necessary resources and opportunities to grow their skills. By taking these steps, CISOs can help ensure that their organizations have a pipeline of talented individuals ready to step up and take on critical cybersecurity roles. This investment will pay off in the long run, as we will have a pool of qualified individuals to step up and fill the shoes of those who move on.
Recognize and reward achievement. Show your team members that you value their contributions by acknowledging their successes and rewarding them accordingly. Talent needs time to grow and mature, and CISOs need to thank everyone for their help and the work the team does.
Develop a succession plan: When key employees leave, they take their knowledge and expertise with them. This can leave a big hole in your company’s cybersecurity defenses. It’s important to have a succession plan in place to ensure continuity of leadership and knowledge. By doing so, CISOs can ensure that critical knowledge and skills are passed down and retained within the organization.
As a CISO, it’s important to remember that you can only control the variables that lead to employee turnover. There are many reasons why employees might leave a company, whether it’s for a higher position or salary at another company, because the commute is too long, or they’re unhappy with existing policies. Spend time focusing on the things you can control to make the most impact.
