Cybersecurity staffing gaps: Why organizations can’t hire fast enough

What are cybersecurity staffing gaps?

Cybersecurity staffing gaps refer to the shortage of qualified security professionals needed to monitor, detect, respond to, and prevent cyber threats within an organization.

These gaps weaken an organization's ability to withstand and recover from cyber incidents. When CyberSOC teams are stretched thin, systems don’t get monitored round-the-clock, and alerts get missed. The inability to respond quickly to alerts can turn small security issues into major disruptions.

Over time, insufficient staffing also makes it harder to meet compliance requirements and maintain audit readiness.

Why is there a cybersecurity talent shortage?

The shortage exists because of four main factors: growing cybersecurity complexity, rapid technology adoption, stricter regulatory demands, and inequality in access to talent.

Cybersecurity teams are now overwhelmed by more sophisticated attacks on multiple fronts (cloud, AI, supply chains, etc.).
Emerging technologies, especially AI, are outpacing skills and workforce readiness.
Growing regulatory and compliance requirements also increase the need for expertise in risk and governance—adding even more pressure to already stretched teams.
Access to talent is particularly difficult for small organizations with limited budgets, as they struggle to offer competitive salaries or meet high hiring expectations.

This is why two out of three organizations report moderate-to-critical cyber skills gaps, and only 14% are confident they have the people and skills they need today, according to the Global Cybersecurity Outlook.

In a nutshell, as cyber risks grow more complex, organizations simply can’t hire or upskill fast enough to keep pace.

Why can’t organizations hire cybersecurity talent fast enough?

Organizations struggle to hire cybersecurity talent fast enough because demand exceeds supply, required skills evolve rapidly, hiring cycles are slow, and burnout increases turnover. The pace of threat evolution outstrips workforce development.

Demand for cybersecurity skills exceeds the available workforce. Many organizations are competing for the same limited pool of experienced cyber talent.
Hiring cycles are slower than emerging threats. It often takes several weeks to approve, post, and fill a position in cyber security teams. Yet, cyber risks change daily.
Burnout and turnover reduce retention. When teams are short-staffed, they get overwhelmed by heavy workloads and constant pressure. As stress levels increase, up to 28% of cyber professionals are likely to leave their jobs, as an article by ISACA revealed.
Security roles require continuous upskilling. Cybersecurity skills quickly become outdated, but professionals who can continuously learn and adapt are hard to find.

Aside from these, financial constraints also contribute to slow hiring cycles. 33% of organizations just don’t have the budget to adequately staff their cybersecurity teams, according to the Cybersecurity Workforce Study.

How has the cyber threat landscape increased staffing pressure?

The increasingly sophisticated and evolving threats organizations face intensify the need for highly capable cybersecurity teams.

Ransomware and zero-day exploits can be launched at any time, requiring rapid detection and response.

AI-driven attacks enable cyber actors to automate and scale attacks, increasing both attack volume and complexity.

Regulatory pressure adds compliance and reporting requirements, creating additional workload for security teams.

Safeguarding systems and ensuring compliance require continuous monitoring, rapid response, and proactive risk management—all of which depend on highly skilled cybersecurity teams available 24/7.

What skills are most in demand in cybersecurity today?

With increasingly complex cyber threats, both technical and nontechnical skills are important when building cybersecurity teams. While technical expertise is a given, “human” skills are becoming more important in an AI-driven cybersecurity world.

The 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Hiring Trends shows the skills most valued for cybersecurity professionals:

Having professionals armed with these skills allows organizations to effectively manage critical cybersecurity functions, including:

Incident response and threat hunting

Cloud security and identity management

Vulnerability management and penetration testing

Compliance and risk management (NIST, ISO, CMMC)

Alert monitoring and SOC operations

To build resilient cyber ops, cybersecurity teams must have these high-demand roles consistently filled:

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst

Cloud Security Architect/Engineer

Penetration Tester and Vulnerability Analyst

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Officer

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

What risks do cybersecurity staffing gaps create?

Cybersecurity staffing gaps leave organizations at risk for cyberattacks, data breaches, noncompliance, and operational disruptions. Understaffed teams are unable to monitor systems and respond to threats immediately, leaving organizations vulnerable.

How do staffing gaps increase business risk?

Cybersecurity staffing gaps increase business risk by delaying threat detection, slowing incident response, and increasing the likelihood of breaches, downtime, and regulatory penalties.

When teams are under-resourced, these often happen:

Missed alerts and alert fatigue. Threats go undetected when security alerts are overlooked or not prioritized.

Incomplete security monitoring. Without sufficient personnel continuously monitoring systems, blind spots and gaps appear, which threat actors take advantage of.

Delayed patching and remediation. When critical vulnerabilities are unpatched, cyber criminals have more opportunities to exploit systems.

Increased exposure during peak threat periods. Ransomware campaigns, geopolitical crises, and other high-risk events leave organizations with understaffed teams vulnerable to attacks.

This isn’t merely theoretical. In 2024, an IBM report established a direct link between cybersecurity skills gap and data breach costs, revealing that over 50% of breached organizations had staffing shortages. Those with understaffed security teams spent approximately 1.76 million more on average breach costs compared with sufficiently staffed organizations.

Why traditional hiring models fail in cybersecurity

Traditional hiring models fail in cybersecurity because they take too long, and talent is scarce. Hiring costs are also increasing, while businesses struggle with lean budgets.

The most common reasons why businesses struggle with internal hiring:

Salary inflation. Intense competition for cybersecurity professionals is driving salary expectations.

Lengthy recruitment timelines. Traditional hiring processes are slow, leaving roles unfilled for weeks or even months.

Limited talent pools. The skills and expertise required for cybersecurity have become so specialized that there aren’t many professionals who are equipped with the right capabilities.

Geographic constraints. Organizations in regions with a limited cybersecurity workforce struggle to find qualified candidates locally.

How are organizations closing the cybersecurity staffing gap?

Organizations are closing the cybersecurity staffing gap by using managed security services and outsourcing specialized functions. Using flexible cybersecurity models, like Claroservices, allows them to access cyber experts with minimal effort, costs, and risks.

Can managed security services help solve staffing shortages?

Yes. Managed security services provide immediate access to skilled cybersecurity professionals, advanced tools, and 24/7 coverage—without the delays of internal hiring.

Some of the benefits of managed security services are:

Always-on monitoring and response. Threats are detected and mitigated 24/7, so data breaches and downtime are avoided.

Reduced operational burden. Internal IT teams can focus on strategic initiatives that support core business operations.

Predictable costs. MSS providers, like Claro , offer flexible pricing models that meet both needs and budgets.

Scalable expertise. MSS gives businesses access to specialized skills without having to hire internal full-time staff.

When should organizations consider MDR or SOC-as-a-Service?

Organizations should consider MDR staffing or SOCaaS when they face rapid growth, compliance mandates, limited in-house expertise, or increasing incident volume.

Long hiring timelines cannot keep pace with organizational or business expansion.

Regulatory requirements demand knowledge and expertise that internal teams may lack.

Small teams or those with scarce cybersecurity talent won’t be able to cover high-risk areas effectively.

Constant and persistent attacks or alerts can overwhelm existing staff.

By adopting MSS, MDR, or SOCaaS, organizations can bridge cybersecurity staffing gaps and strengthen their cyber resilience.

What should organizations do next?

To reduce cyber risk, organizations must acknowledge that cybersecurity staffing gaps are a structural issue—not temporary cybersecurity hiring challenges. Posting job ads or offering higher salaries isn’t enough to close these gaps.

Blending internal teams with managed security services is one solution worth exploring. This allows organizations to access specialized talent without the costly hiring expenses and to implement 24/7 monitoring without the added operational costs.

This hybrid approach enables faster protection, improved resilience, and long-term scalability.

Frequently Asked Questions

1: Why is cybersecurity understaffed?

Cybersecurity is understaffed because the demand for cybersecurity professionals far exceeds the available talent pool. There simply aren’t enough highly-qualified cyber professionals who meet stringent requirements.

2: How big is the cybersecurity skills gap?

Roughly 28% of cybersecurity positions worldwide are unfilled due to a lack of candidates with desired skills, competition for talent, and diversity gaps.

3: What industries are most affected by cybersecurity staffing shortages?

Cybersecurity staffing shortages affect all industries. However, some industries face more challenges. These include financial services, materials and industrials, consumer goods, and technology.

4: Is outsourcing cybersecurity effective?

Yes. Managed security services can be effective in helping organizations bridge staffing gaps. It provides access to skilled professionals without the burden of internal hiring.