Solving the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

In today’s challenging economic climate, many companies are implementing hiring freezes making it harder than ever to fill critical cybersecurity roles. Yet cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and frequency and organisations cannot afford to leave their defences understaffed.

Recently Red Alpha Cybersecurity was invited to speak on CNA938’s Mind Your Money hosted by Cheryl Goh to discuss practical solutions for closing the cybersecurity talent gap without adding headcount.

The Hiring Freeze Challenge

The global shortage of cybersecurity professionals is staggering with millions of roles unfilled and in Asia Pacific alone about 2.7 million jobs remain open. However the traditional approach of hiring more full-time employees is often not viable during a hiring freeze or when budgets are tight.

Red Alpha’s Flexible Talent Model

Red Alpha offers an innovative solution. Through rigorous training in our intensive bootcamps we prepare cybersecurity professionals who are job ready from day one. Instead of hiring them full-time immediately companies can deploy these skilled professionals via a flexible model where the talent is employed by Red Alpha but embedded full-time within the client’s team.

This plug and play approach allows companies to quickly strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities without increasing their payroll or headcount.

Shifting the Mindset on Hiring

Tzer Yeu Pang, Red Alpha’s CISO in Residence, emphasised on the show that organisations should rethink what “qualified” means:

“Cybersecurity is not just about hiring more people. It is about using what you already have more effectively, building internal capabilities, and bringing in the right type of support.”

By focusing on skills and potential instead of solely years of experience companies can fill critical roles with professionals who have been thoroughly trained in real-world scenarios.

Fast Deployment and Long-Term Benefits

Red Alpha can deploy talent in as little as two to four weeks which is much faster than traditional hiring cycles. Many companies eventually convert these professionals to full-time staff after ensuring the fit is right. Even if not they still benefit from the expertise during the engagement period.

Moreover companies that actively involve trainees with mentorship and meaningful work see higher retention and stronger cyber teams overall.

Conclusion

Hiring freezes do not have to mean a halt to cybersecurity progress. With flexible talent models like Red Alpha’s organisations can continue to defend against cyber threats effectively while managing budget constraints.

We thank Cheryl Goh and CNA938 for the opportunity to discuss these solutions on Mind Your Money.

Listen to the full interview here:Plugging the Cybersecurity Talent Gap Without Adding Headcount – CNA938