Deloitte: Canadian Cyber-talent gap will continue grow as demand increases 7% a year
New research from Deloitte has revealed that the demand for cybersecurity talent in Canada is forecast to grow at 7% a year, equating to 8,000 new roles that will need filling by 2021.
The study shows that, despite Canadian businesses, governments and academic institutions working to do more to close the skills gap, current efforts and approaches may not be sufficient to effectively address the outstanding problem.
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“The increased frequency and complexity of cyber threats as well as increased security and privacy regulation were identified as the most impactful trends on cybersecurity over the next three to five years,” said Marc MacKinnon, Canada Cyber Strategy leader at Deloitte. “As a country, we must continue to strengthen our cybersecurity ecosystem.”
Within its findings, Deloitte urges organisations to commit to overhauling their talent strategies with a more innovative approach in the aim overcoming the talent shortage, whilst educational bodies must reimagine and upgrade their methods to keep pace with evolving and advancing cyber risks.
Further, the report addresses the growing gender gap within the industry, with most professionals being predominantly male and coming from an IT background. According to survey results, less than a third of members within Canadian cybersecurity teams are female.
“As one of the world's most digitized economies, we have a duty to help reduce the global cyber talent deficit and an opportunity to lead the charge,” MacKinnon continued.
