IT GRC skills shortage intensifies

I've noted recently that demand has been heavy for certain skills in the realm of IT GRC. Security professionals in particular have been in heavy demand, as most companies continue to struggle with a skills shortfall.

New research by the Aberdeen Group has taken a broader look at the issue in a recent report. More than half of respondents to its survey said that they were experiencing difficulty in finding qualified employees it the realm of IT security, risk and compliance—"a situation perceived to have gotten worse over the past two years, with little optimism for improvement in the next two years."

Companies of all sizes have been affected by the skills shortage. The report notes the general consequences of an inability to hire: an overworked staff, negative effects on enterprise initiatives, and an elevated number of security incidents and audit deficiencies. But the companies that stand to be most affected are small companies.

For practitioners in this area, this trend is good news in one sense: Salaries may be on the rise, as job-hopping for greener pastures intensifies. Companies will also have to take additional steps, like outsourcing more security and GRC-related tasks to third parties. If it's any comfort, the skills shortage is a global phenomenon. Britain is certainly suffering.

For more:
- here's the study

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