Today, the cloud is ultimately the engine driving the future of many businesses. This exciting shift, however, faces a major hurdle: a lack of skilled professionals to navigate its complexities. This talent gap not only stalls innovation but also leaves your companies exposed to serious security risks. By bridging this cloud skills gap, you can unlock a future where advancements in technology go hand-in-hand with robust security.
The connection between cloud expertise and security is irrefutable. When your employees lack the necessary knowledge, their actions can inadvertently expose the business to errors and misconfigurations. These missteps can create exploitable weaknesses, paving the way for potential data breaches. According to a 2024 report, a staggering 71% of organisations have already felt the sting of the skills shortage when it comes to cybersecurity.
Fortinet suggests the need for four million cybersecurity professionals globally to properly address growing skills gaps, but in the current landscape, what are some actions that you can take to mitigate this problem?
Collaboration at all levels is the key
Business leaders agree that closing the cyber skills gap requires a collaborative approach and commitment from both the public and private sectors. And the main focus of this public-private collaboration should be to combine efforts to increase access to technical and IT skills training for people from all backgrounds and career levels.
Educational institutions, from secondary schools to colleges and universities, play a critical role in equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in the industry. However, education programmes in many IT topics, including cloud computing, still face many challenges, such as outdated curricula, a shortage of qualified teachers and a lack of structured mentoring programmes. Companies working with schools and universities can help shape curricula to reflect real-world cloud resilience needs. In addition, internship programmes can provide students with valuable hands-on experience, preparing them for successful careers in the cloud industry.
Collaboration within organisations is another piece of the jigsaw. Upskilling and reskilling existing talent is another solution to the skills shortage, and the key element here is collaboration. Investing in the development of existing talent will not only equip your team with the necessary IT and cloud skills but will also foster creativity, loyalty and commitment, helping to solve problems faster and retain talent.
Working with an MSP
New studies have found that just over half (57%) of UK businesses rank finding the right tech talent as their biggest challenge today. Given that the bigger players in the market often dominate the talent pool, smaller firms are facing increased pressure to offer more competitive salaries to attract skilled workers.
You may find that one way to address this challenge without breaking the bank is by working with a Managed Service Providers (MSP). With a wealth of knowledge in cloud security, MSPs can remotely manage a customer’s infrastructure and provide smaller businesses with access to resources they might not be able to afford in-house. These providers can take care of critical tasks like security configuration, threat detection, and monitoring, freeing up internal teams to focus on core business functions.
Diversifying the workforce
Another solution lies in fostering a more inclusive and diverse cloud workforce. Inclusivity and diversity are not just buzzwords; they are proven catalysts for innovation and a competitive edge. Studies consistently show that more diverse teams outperform those that lack diversity. Diverse teams tend to be more logical, more creative, and more efficient at spotting flaws in thinking.
Consider gender diversity as an example here: although the cloud industry remains heavily male-dominated, actively promoting the inclusion of women allows businesses to tap into a wider range of perspectives and skillsets, ultimately strengthening both security and innovation. However, change for gender diversity in the tech and cloud industry needs to come from the top. Increased support from government and public sector organisations for women pursuing careers in technology is essential to bring about significant change in the representation of women in the industry.
From a business perspective, however, diversity could be promoted by offering professional training and mentoring programmes for underrepresented groups interested in IT and cloud careers or by allocating special quotas.
By acknowledging and addressing the cloud skills gap, we can pave the way for a more secure and innovative future. With a deep understanding of cloud security and the ability to mitigate threats, MSPs can empower businesses of all sizes to embrace the cloud with confidence. Together, by fostering a more inclusive talent pool and forging strategic partnerships, we can ensure a secure and thriving cloud ecosystem for all. Through collaboration, continuous learning, and diversity, the industry can overcome the skills gap, leading to enhanced security measures and accelerated innovation in the cloud landscape.
Charlotte Webb, Operations Director at Hyve Managed Hosting
