Cybersecurity needs are soaring at a time when the security industry (among many others) is grappling with a labor shortage. Microsoft wants to address part of that problem by offering an expanded cybersecurity suite to help companies navigate a burgeoning threat landscape.
The Seattle-based tech giant recently announced the addition of three services that offers to assist companies in an increasingly tense cyber environment. One of the products aims to help companies hunt for new threats while another extends the reach of Microsoft workers who can assist companies in managing threats. And it’s something to pay attention to: most small businesses wouldn’t survive one week after a ransomware attack, research shows.
Having fewer cyber professionals managing the threat landscape allows bad actors to maneuver systems and exploit vulnerabilities with more ease. Almost one in three jobs in the U.S. cybersecurity sector is vacant, with 2.5 million vacancies in security roles, according to Microsoft corporate vice president Vasu Jakkal, who focuses on security and compliance.
Microsoft’s expansion of its suite of cybersecurity products amid a sprawling labor shortage speaks to another point that all businesses should take note of: Even as companies have fewer employees, the need for cybersecurity continues to expand.
It’s a mistake for businesses to think that they’re not large or profitable enough to be immune from a cyberattack. That’s according to Stephen Semmelroth, the senior director of security at the Chicago-based Avant Communications. Avant is a platform for IT decision-making.
“The bad guys don’t care how many employees you have,” says Semmelroth. “They don’t care what your revenue or profit looks like. And they don’t care what industry or geography you’re in.”
“What they care about is: Can they make you pay?”
