Blog

Thought leadership and updates from the world of recruitment in cyber

Appsec Hiring and ROI

Uploaded: November 23, 2022
Appsec Background information: (Things to consider sharing with the client) The appsec hire ROI includes hard and soft values. The hard values are difficult to speak to without understanding the business objectives and which cybersecurity metrics are in place today or planning in the future. Generally speaking, the ROI soft values accelerate/enable the ROI complex […]
Keep reading

Five ways to find the right cyber talent

Uploaded: May 18, 2022
 Harvard Business School research found that 90% of highly-skilled cyber talent workers are weeded out from jobs because they don’t meet all the requirements in a job posting. Aiello advises companies to make more realistic descriptions in their ads so hiring managers can match job candidates to jobs they can succeed on. (Credit: Getty Images) […]
Keep reading

Applications close soon in MD and VA for SANS Cyber Talent Academy

Uploaded: November 18, 2021
Provider Exchange Partner Spotlight: SANS Cyber Immersion Academies Applicants wanted to upskill and reskill in VA and MD for #cyberjobs
Keep reading

Combating the Great Resignation with Great Retention

Uploaded: November 15, 2021
The “Great Resignation”, or the “Big Quit”, is one of the biggest challenges for employers and professionals in all industries right now. Is it a temporary trend as we recover from the unrest of a global pandemic, or is it symptomatic of a larger employment problem? And how does the cybersecurity industry, which was suffering […]
Keep reading

How job search algorithms are failing cybersecurity

Uploaded: September 29, 2021
Communication is easier and more effective when both parties speak the same language. The same is true for finding a job. Job search algorithms fail at matching professionals with roles based on language, so we created a cybersecurity common language, our Job Taxonomy - more on this below. Resume screening software is a huge contributor […]
Keep reading

The CyberSN Marketplace Explained

Uploaded: September 7, 2021
In this blog - the third in our series addressing the cybersecurity career and hiring crisis - we introduce the CyberSN marketplace, the one-stop destination for all cybersecurity career and staffing needs. To learn more about the cybersecurity career crisis and how to solve it, check out our previous blogs.  At CyberSN we recognize that […]
Keep reading

An Insider’s Guide to Talent Exfiltration

Uploaded: March 11, 2021
The ongoing evolution of the cybersecurity landscape and threat complexity has initiated an arms race between security teams and cyber criminals. As well as scrambling to keep up with new and developing threats, organizations are seeing their talent exfiltrated by recruiters at an alarming rate. The cybersecurity talent pool is short nearly 500,000 people in the United […]
Keep reading

5 Ways Cyber Hiring Has Changed Forever

Uploaded: February 23, 2021
2020 brought many transformations to the cybersecurity community. The key takeaway from our perspective here at CyberSN was the change to the talent seeker and the job seeker as it relates to the hiring process. In short: the roles and expectations of both cybersecurity professionals seeking employment, and hiring managers looking to fill job vacancies […]
Keep reading

Managing a Business-Aligned Cybersecurity Team

Uploaded: December 9, 2020
Most CEOs will tell you security is an important aspect of their business operations. But too often, what’s deemed important by management doesn’t always translate into real priorities. We’ve seen too many cybersecurity teams stretched thin on staffing, overworked, and improperly aligned with the rest of the organization. This leaves companies vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, huge losses, […]
Keep reading

Hiring Cybersecurity Professionals When Your Salary Offer Is Low

Uploaded: December 2, 2020
Hiring cybersecurity professionals is as challenging now as ever. With a shortage of people actively looking, cyber pros can be picky about where they work and the compensation they earn. Not every company can afford to pay the same level of salary as Google, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer a rewarding opportunity for cyber […]
Keep reading

Has Covid-19 Changed What Cybersecurity Professionals Want?

Uploaded: October 16, 2020
The declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020 quickly changed how we work, turning office culture on its head. Companies quickly adapted to a fully remote model, while employees learned how to balance work and personal life within the confines of their home. This new work environment put added pressures on cybersecurity […]
Keep reading

Why Finding Cybersecurity Professionals Is Like Dating

Uploaded: June 17, 2020
If you’re single—or remember the days when you were—you know how hard it can be to find the right person. Meeting people at work, the gym, or during happy hour might get you dates, but any initial chemistry you have can mask glaring incompatibilities. Online dating only began to gain popularity when the platforms provided […]
Keep reading

Addressing the Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals

Uploaded: April 23, 2020
The shortage of cybersecurity professionals has been well studied, documented, and publicized. According to ESG Research, 51% of companies say their organization has a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills. The most well cited study on the cyber workforce shortage, by (ISC)², estimates that an additional 4 million more cybersecurity professionals are needed to defend organizations […]
Keep reading

Get Better at Recruiting Women in Cybersecurity

Uploaded: March 27, 2020
It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in cybersecurity. There are plenty of statistics that confirm the lack of gender diversity, including a 2019 survey that showed women make up less than a quarter of the cybersecurity workforce. This number is up from a survey conducted in 2013 that found the cyber workforce was only 11% […]
Keep reading

Four Tips to Improve Your Cybersecurity Job Description

Uploaded: March 17, 2020
Many of the challenges firms face when filling cybersecurity positions can be traced back to the job description. Cybersecurity job descriptions are notoriously difficult to write, yet they’re often the first impression a potential hire has of what it’s like to work for your company. With a lack of industry-accepted terms for jobs and roles, […]
Keep reading

5 Tips for attracting cybersecurity professionals

Uploaded: January 30, 2020
While the scramble to recruit and retain smart cybersecurity professionals is universal, some companies struggle more than others. If you ever wonder how some competitors managed to perennially field solid cybersecurity teams while your organization can hardly even find enough candidates for your open jobs, it might be time to evaluate the way you market […]
Keep reading

Don’t Chase Your Tail! Hire AND Retain Cybersecurity Talent

Uploaded: January 31, 2019
Friends, I wanted to share a precursor to my RSAC 2019 talk. Join me Friday, Mar 08 | 11:10 A.M. – 12:00 P.M for Retaining and Growing Cybersecurity Talent: A Proven Model. RSVP to this session here. Don’t Chase Your Tail! Hire AND Retain Cybersecurity Talent As 2019 begins and companies ramp up their Q1 cybersecurity staffing initiatives, hiring […]
Keep reading

Truth Sells. How honest are you with recruiters?

Uploaded: January 14, 2019
How honest are you with recruiters? This is a question for both hiring managers and job candidates. As you can see from my previous posts, I understand poorly skilled recruiters are abundant in the workforce today. However, you won’t know for sure if your recruiter is good unless you’re transparent with them when they ask […]
Keep reading

Cybersecurity Hiring Crisis Fueled by Lackluster Salaries

Uploaded: January 2, 2018
While demand for top flight cyber talent is hotter than ever, top line recruitment is often hindered by outdated and uninspired compensation planning. Let’s go inside the latest report findings from cybersecurity search firm CyberSN. -This story was featured on HuntScanlon.com on January 3, 2018 – Authors: Scott A. Scanlon Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing […]
Keep reading

Salary Caps Threaten National Security

Uploaded: December 6, 2017
Quibbling over dollars leaves jobs unfilled and companies at risk Originally published on Medium [story no longer exists], this interview was conducted in November 2017 to explore the “CyberSN Research Study: The Cyber Security Hiring Crisis” in more detail. Read on to learn more about our findings on if salary caps threaten national security. Author – Kacy Zurkus, […]
Keep reading

The Cybersecurity Hiring Crisis

Uploaded: October 11, 2017
View our research study Friends, our lack of real-time salary data and our poor hiring practices are causing unnecessary stress and productivity breakdown. The cybersecurity talent shortage is not an excuse for unfilled positions. CyberSN has performed thousands of searches and compiled valuable data that shows why jobs go unfilled for reasons beyond the talent […]
Keep reading

We Need a New Approach to Hiring

Uploaded: July 9, 2017
When Gary Hayslip, the CISO for Webroot, Co-Author of The CISO Desk Reference Guide, and a highly valued and trusted leader in the security industry asked for my input on his article, I told him I would be more than happy to share my thoughts. I have a lot to say on this subject after 19 years […]
Keep reading