BUSINESS SURVEILLANCE
SKILLS SHORTAGES ARE ONLY PART OF THE TALENT PROBLEM FACING SOCS
The quality of communication in the workplace has lessened in recent months due to the chaos caused by the pandemic . Richard Cassidy , Senior Director Security Strategy EMEA at Exabeam , considers some of the important foundational factors that can directly impact talent retention in today ’ s SOC teams and says a strong sense of community and belonging can help contribute to a staff member ’ s decision about remaining with an employer for the long-term .
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T worldwide skills shortage facing cybersecurity teams has cast a shadow on the industry in recent years , with a lack of available talent causing considerable concern . There are signs , however , that the trends may be shifting , with the 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study from ( ISC ) 2 revealing that the global workforce gap had decreased from 4 million to 3.1 million – the first time its study has recorded a fall .
This is positive news , but doesn ’ t hide the fact that in the same study , 56 % of respondents said that cybersecurity staff shortages are ‘ putting their organisations at risk ’. While focusing on these trends serves a vital purpose , to an extent it has taken the spotlight away from another critical influence on the effectiveness of security teams : staff retention .
For example , anecdotal accounts of staff retention rates suggest that Managed Service Security Providers ( MSSPs ) retain junior SOC analysts for just 12 to 18 months on average . This is far from ideal and any organisation that has experienced significant staff turnover will understand that it not only affects team culture , despite the best efforts of everyone involved , it can have a material impact on the quality and consistency of work . In the cybersecurity context , this could detract from the ability of SOCs to keep attackers at bay .
Across many cybersecurity teams , therefore , staff retention at all levels requires leadership stakeholders , from CISOs and HR professionals to C-suite leadership , to re-evaluate
Richard Cassidy , Senior Director Security Strategy EMEA at Exabeam
what influences people to look for a new role or not . In doing so , there are four important foundational points that can directly impact talent retention in today ’ s SOC teams :
1 . Invest in effective leadership
Effective leadership can be make or break for staff retention on any team , and in cybersecurity environments , over half the respondents in Exabeam ’ s 2020 Cybersecurity Professionals Salary , Skills and Stress Report highlighted the need for leadership to take better care of employees to avoid burnout .
Employees often place a great deal of value in working for an organisation that cares about them , particularly when that culture is led by the most senior people .
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