The IoT Security Skills Gap

The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the cybersecurity landscape. This shift in skills along with the already shortfall of IT workers is widening the gap in what’s needed to be a successful IT professional. In fact, the number of unfilled jobs in the industry is expected to hit 3.5 million by 2020.

Looking at the numbers, we can see that the largest vacancies are in the area of cybersecurity operations. The shortage of professionals is compounded for companies deploying IoT.

Why the IoT Expertise Shortage?

First, IoT is still a new field that has little formal training or academic programs. Second, the title and duties of such a role are not clearly defined — the process is still in flux. It’s also unknown exactly how many of the specialists will be needed. Finally, the lack of IoT leadership is adding to the issue. A Gartner survey identified a lack of IoT-proficient leaders slows down the adoption of IoT projects in 40% of organizations.

The area of IoT will need analysts as much as any other cybersecurity segment. But because of these factors, it’s imperative to understand the skill gap and facilitate a way to bridge it, either with existing staff or with new staff that has basic skills and can learn the intricacies of IoT security.

What options do companies involved in the world of IoT have to develop analysts into experts in the field? First, it’s important to identify what skills will be most useful since there are no IoT certifications. Then consider other creative ways to prepare and overcome the gap.

Skills Needed in IoT Security

To understand where your team needs to be on the spectrum of IT knowledge, these are the most relevant skills needed for IoT security.

Business Intelligence

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