# The Cybersecurity Workforce Gap: Why Outsourcing Is Rising

- Link: https://dbr-soft.com/the-cybersecurity-workforce-gap-why-outsourcing-is-rising/
- Published: 2026-10-27T17:18:49+00:00
- Author: David Botero

For years, the headline was a shortage of cybersecurity workers. The latest research
shows the problem has become more specific.

**What ISC2’s 2025 study found**

The 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study surveyed more than 16,000 security professionals
worldwide.

– **Skills shortages now outweigh headcount shortages.** For the first time, ISC2
declined to publish a global workforce gap estimate, saying that skills gaps matter
more than staffing numbers alone.

– **95% of respondents reported at least one skills gap,** and only about 5% said
they had none.

– **88% said their organizations had experienced at least one significant cybersecurity
consequence linked to a skills shortage,** and 69% reported more than one.

– **AI and cloud security** were the most-cited critical skills, at 41% and 36%.

– Many professionals see AI as a way to specialize and become more strategic, not
as a threat to their jobs.

– Budget pressures remain a constraint, and many teams lack funds to hire people
with the skills they need.

**How leaders are responding**

ISC2 reports that organizations are using three main approaches: **training and 
development**, **investing in emerging technology** to supplement staff, and **outsourcing**
work.

**Why outsourcing makes sense for smaller organizations**

– **24/7 monitoring** is nearly impossible with a small internal team

– **Specialized skills** (incident response, cloud security, compliance) are needed
only occasionally

– **Faster start:** an experienced provider is available immediately

– **Cost:** shared services spread the expense of tools and analysts

– **Insurance and customer requirements** increasingly expect monitored security

**What can be outsourced**

– Managed detection and response (MDR)

– Vulnerability management and patching

– Security awareness training

– Compliance support and assessments

– Incident response retainers

– Virtual CISO guidance

**What to keep in-house**

Accountability. You still own risk decisions, business context, and relationships.
A good provider supports your decisions, but doesn’t replace them.

**Choosing a security partner**

Ask about monitoring hours, response authority, reporting, how they secure their
own environment, references, and exit terms.

_Sources: [ISC2 2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Study (published December 2025).](https://www.isc2.org/Insights/2025/12/2025-ISC2-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Study)_

**DBR Soft provides managed security services designed for small and mid-sized organizations.****
[Contact us for more information.](https://dbr-soft.com/contact/)**

 * [⌊Massive Binance Breach: $6.3 Billion Drained in History’s Largest Crypto Heist⌉⌊
   Massive Binance Breach: $6.3 Billion Drained in History’s Largest Crypto Heist⌉[
 * [Cybersecurity](https://dbr-soft.com/category/cybersecurity/), [IT News](https://dbr-soft.com/category/it-news/)
 * 
   ### 󠀁[Massive Binance Breach: $6.3 Billion Drained in History’s Largest Crypto Heist](https://dbr-soft.com/massive-binance-breach-6-3-billion-drained-in-historys-largest-crypto-heist/)󠁿
   
 * Binance has halted all user withdrawals following a devastating “complex attack”
   that drained approximately $6.3…
 * [⌊David Botero Avatar⌉⌊David Botero Avatar⌉[
 * [David Botero](https://dbr-soft.com/author/dave/)
 * Oct 30, 2026
 * [⌊Epic Games Goes All-In on AI Acceleration for Fortnite and Unreal Engine 6⌉⌊
   Epic Games Goes All-In on AI Acceleration for Fortnite and Unreal Engine 6⌉[
 * [Artificial Intelligence](https://dbr-soft.com/category/artificial-intelligence/),
   [Gaming News](https://dbr-soft.com/category/gaming-news/), [Trends](https://dbr-soft.com/category/trends/)
 * 
   ### 󠀁[Epic Games Goes All-In on AI Acceleration for Fortnite and Unreal Engine 6](https://dbr-soft.com/epic-games-goes-all-in-on-ai-acceleration-for-fortnite-and-unreal-engine-6/)󠁿
   
 * CHICAGO — Epic Games is no longer just experimenting with artificial intelligence;
   they are rewriting…
 * [⌊David Botero Avatar⌉⌊David Botero Avatar⌉[
 * [David Botero](https://dbr-soft.com/author/dave/)
 * Oct 30, 2026
 * [⌊The Dawn of Optical Computing: How Akhetonics is Building the First All-Optical
   Processor⌉⌊The Dawn of Optical Computing: How Akhetonics is Building the First
   All-Optical Processor⌉[
 * [Artificial Intelligence](https://dbr-soft.com/category/artificial-intelligence/),
   [Hardware](https://dbr-soft.com/category/hardware/), [Innovation](https://dbr-soft.com/category/innovation/)
 * 
   ### 󠀁[The Dawn of Optical Computing: How Akhetonics is Building the First All-Optical Processor](https://dbr-soft.com/the-dawn-of-optical-computing-how-akhetonics-is-building-the-first-all-optical-processor/)󠁿
   
 * As artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and massive data centers push 
   the limits of modern technology,…
 * [⌊David Botero Avatar⌉⌊David Botero Avatar⌉[
 * [David Botero](https://dbr-soft.com/author/dave/)
 * Oct 29, 2026

[View All](https://dbr-soft.com/the-cybersecurity-workforce-gap-why-outsourcing-is-rising/#extendify-blog)