How APAC organisations are hiring cyber security pros

Organisations across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are relying on job postings, internships and even candidates from other fields to plug the cyber security talent gap, a new study has found.

Those were the key findings of the APAC cybersecurity hiring managers research report by The International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)², which polled 787 respondents across Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

Over half of respondents (58%) in Singapore rely on standard job postings in their search for cyber security talent while just under half in the city-state have identified or recruited talent through apprenticeship and internship programmes as well as recruitment agencies.

At the regional level, companies have also diversified their recruitment practices when it comes to candidate sourcing, with hiring managers turning to existing employees from non-traditional IT departments such as customer service (43%) and human resources (38%) for entry- and junior-level staff.

“Our research findings point to the widening cyber security workforce gap, which has been driven by geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic instability, as well as growing physical security challenges,” said Clar Rosso, CEO of (ISC)².

“With APAC registering the second highest year-on-year rise in shortage globally, organisations in the region need to be creative with their cyber security hiring. However, unlike conventional thinking, adopting an innovative approach doesn’t mean that organisations have to take on more hiring risks.”

The (ISC)² report noted that adopting a more collaborative hiring approach between HR and cyber security teams, identifying candidates with relevant attributes and skills, as well as investing in their professional development can help organisations build more resilient and sustainable cyber security teams.

When it comes to skills and experience, 62% of respondents would hire a candidate self-taught in IT or cyber security despite having no work experience, with those in Singapore and Hong Kong most likely to consider such candidates.

Across the region, 64% of hiring managers ranked previous professional experience as one of the most…