Dark Reading is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Database Security
Authentication
Privacy
Compliance
Identity & Access Management
Security Monitoring
Advanced Threats
Insider Threats
Vulnerability Management
Comments
How the Skills Gap Strains – and Constrains – Security Pros
Newest First  |  Oldest First  |  Threaded View
bwilkes8@gmail.com
50%
50%
[email protected],
 User Rank: Strategist
5/10/2019 | 1:52:23 PM
How the Skills Gap Strains – and Constrains – Security Pros
Kelly great article.  Is it possible the industry professionals are creating or perpetuating the problem?  I learned from a senior military NCO many years ago, "You're expendable!"  For these professionals to make the statement "they don't have time", sets themselves and the company they work for up for failure, disaster, breaches, you pick.  I took from your article that this is a mentality of the sky is falling in the security realm.  May I ask, how many of these companies are helping themselves and their security team by creating or are actively engaged in finding a solution outside of the traditional ways? This is a self-inflicted wound as we'd say in the military.  It could have been avoided, most importantly it can be corrected.  This situation is a SNAFU and not a FUBAR.

Kelly, if such a high percentage believe the Opposing Force has the edge, a repeatable solution has to be implemented to stave them off.  Are these professionals in your article advocating change within their company or are they simply just dealing with it?

Of the 65% impeded by their jobs, what percentage have onboarded a junior security member?  How many are willing to take on a junior member to mentor?  Is it more productive to be tired and burned out as security professional or to be focused?  How many have made an investment to aid in growth?  I've read many articles similar to yours stating the same thing, but I've only read one this year where the writer proposed a solution.  Here's my two cents.

Investing is done with a goal of receiving "something" in the near or distance future.  Investing is intentional and planned.  Investing is purposeful, planned and should be well executed.  How many of the professionals surveyed are investing in an aspiring or junior security professional?  "Nothing from nothing leaves nothing", no investing in the future means no return, therefore, no gain or in this case no progress in finding a solution to the frustration and burnout these professionals are experiencing.

As as an SME in my fields, in the military, I learned when and what to delegate.  Without delegation being overworked, stressed and substandard performance are guaranteed.  Delegation is not dumping your undesired tasks onto some else's plate, it's giving another individual the opportunity to learn, with oversight.  Yes, you have will spend time training that individual and in the beginning your workload is increased, but in the end a professional is created and a more manageable workload surfaces.  Oversimplified?  Yes, it is, but it's a recipe for a beginning.

I was trained to find solutions to problems and that failure was not an option.  This crisis in the making is manageable.  Just my two cents.


Windows 10 Migration: Getting It Right
Kevin Alexandra, Principal Solutions Engineer at BeyondTrust,  5/15/2019
Baltimore Ransomware Attack Takes Strange Twist
Kelly Jackson Higgins, Executive Editor at Dark Reading,  5/14/2019
When Older Windows Systems Won't Die
Kelly Sheridan, Staff Editor, Dark Reading,  5/17/2019
Register for Dark Reading Newsletters
White Papers
Video
Cartoon Contest
Write a Caption, Win a Starbucks Card! Click Here
Latest Comment: Who replaced the "Scroll Lock" key with a "Screen Lock" key?
Current Issue
Building and Managing an IT Security Operations Program
As cyber threats grow, many organizations are building security operations centers (SOCs) to improve their defenses. In this Tech Digest you will learn tips on how to get the most out of a SOC in your organization - and what to do if you can't afford to build one.
Flash Poll
Twitter Feed
Dark Reading - Bug Report
Bug Report
Enterprise Vulnerabilities
From DHS/US-CERT's National Vulnerability Database
CVE-2019-12173
PUBLISHED: 2019-05-18
MacDown 0.7.1 (870) allows remote code execution via a file:\\\ URI, with a .app pathname, in the HREF attribute of an A element. This is different from CVE-2019-12138.
CVE-2019-12172
PUBLISHED: 2019-05-17
Typora 0.9.9.21.1 (1913) allows arbitrary code execution via a modified file: URL syntax in the HREF attribute of an AREA element, as demonstrated by file:\\\ on macOS or Linux, or file://C| on Windows. This is different from CVE-2019-12137.
CVE-2019-12168
PUBLISHED: 2019-05-17
Four-Faith Wireless Mobile Router F3x24 v1.0 devices allow remote code execution via the Command Shell (aka Administration > Commands) screen.
CVE-2019-12170
PUBLISHED: 2019-05-17
ATutor through 2.2.4 is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads via the mods/_core/backups/upload.php (aka backup) component. This may result in remote command execution. An attacker can use the instructor account to fully compromise the system using a crafted backup ZIP archive. This will allow for PH...
CVE-2019-11644
PUBLISHED: 2019-05-17
In the F-Secure installer in F-Secure SAFE for Windows before 17.6, F-Secure Internet Security before 17.6, F-Secure Anti-Virus before 17.6, F-Secure Client Security Standard and Premium before 14.10, F-Secure PSB Workstation Security before 12.01, and F-Secure Computer Protection Standard and Premi...