The cybersecurity skills gap contributed to 80% of breaches, according to a report by Fortinet, a cybersecurity company. Meanwhile, cyberattacks are on the rise, and nearly half of firms have suffered a data breach, according to a survey included in the “State of Security 2022” report released by Splunk Inc. Recruiting IT security talent has also gotten harder, and a majority of survey respondents said they have seen workers resign, citing burnout.

“The skills gap isn’t just a talent shortage challenge, but it’s also severely impacting business, making it a top concern for executive leaders worldwide,” said Sandra Wheatley, Fortine's senior VP marketing, threat intelligence and influencer communications.

Fortinet said the global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow 65% to effectively to fill the skills gap, and it found that eight in 10 organizations surveyed suffered at least one cybersecurity breach that could be attributed to a lack of cybersecurity skills or awareness.

Another finding: 76% of organizations have boards that have recommended increases in IT and cybersecurity headcount.

The survey included more than 1,200 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers from 29 different countries including the US, France, Japan and Mexico.

“State of Security 2022” report

A majority of respondents in Splunk's report, 65%, said they have seen an increase in cyberattacks, and 49% said their firm suffered a data breach over the past two years — up from 39% who said the same when surveyed last year.

It also found that 79% of respondents said they’ve encountered ransomware attacks, and 35% said that one or more of those attacks led them to lose access to data and systems.

Many organizations have also been impacted by the Great Resignation and additional security challenges of remote work. Overall, the talent landscape for cybersecurity professionals has become more difficult.

Among findings in the report:

• 85% of respondents say it has gotten harder to recruit and retain talent over the past 12 months.
• 53% of respondents say they can’t hire enough staff and 58% cite an inability to find talent with the right skills.
• 68% of respondents report that talent shortages directly led to the failure of one or more projects/initiatives.
• 73% of respondents say that workers have resigned, citing burnout.

The report included results from a survey of 1,227 IT and security leaders from around the globe. The survey took place between mid-January and mid-February.