The True Cost of IT Vacancies for Your Cybersecurity

The average organization loses hundreds of dollars a day with each skilled role that goes unfilled. When that role is in cybersecurity, letting it go unfilled can be even more expensive. You aren’t paying the cost of IT vacancies in money, you’re paying in the risk your organization faces, in the increased pressure put on your team and in the extra time it takes your team to accomplish routine tasks and respond to threats.  The true cost of vacancies in your IT department is your cybersecurity at best, and your brand reputation and legal exposure at worst.

Several studies have shown that a significant number of security teams are understaffed, and this understaffing has contributed to security events. Without a team that can configure your environment to best practices, your business faces risks that are easily preventable. In the event of a breach or another form of attack, your team might not be able to perform damage control, and it will take longer to recover. Response time is lower than it could be, and your company is at an increased risk of a cybersecurity incident. Your business cannot afford the downtime, loss of data and ultimately, the loss of revenue and reputation that comes with a successful cyberattack.

Having vacancies in your IT department not only puts your cybersecurity at risk, it also puts your team at risk of burnout. A 2022 report by ISACA estimates that 45% of cybersecurity professionals leaving their jobs report high work stress levels and 34% state lack of management support as factors contributing to their decision to leave. Gartner reported in 2023 that nearly half of cybersecurity leaders will change jobs by 2025, half of those pursuing different roles entirely due to workplace stress. As a vacancy goes unfilled, your existing team continues to pick up the slack caused by a vacant position. There are several options for how this will go:

1. Your team is unable to pick up the slack. Projects are behind schedule or remain undone entirely.
2. Your team picks up the slack, but the increased workload wears on them.

Either way, employees will experience increased stress and loss of motivation which may cause them to look for employment elsewhere. Should employees leave, your problem only grows.

If your business is growing, it cannot afford a short-staffed IT department. With employees facing larger workloads, non-essential projects or projects without fixed deadlines will find themselves being pushed farther and farther back as the team struggles to keep up with day-to-day tasks. Quick fixes will be implemented instead of adhering to best practices, and they will have to be dismantled before they can be fixed, causing headaches down the line. Ultimately, with all your team’s time and energy used to maintain, new projects and best practices will not get the attention they deserve, and your IT department will not be able to keep up with growth.

If your IT team has cybersecurity vacancies, turn to the hiring experts at Adapture. With a wide network of IT professionals, Adapture can find the experts you need to fill the positions on your team. We know that your cybersecurity is only as effective as the people implementing it. Whatever skillset you’re looking for, our team of experienced recruiters will work with your team to find candidates that meet your skill and experience requirements so you don’t have to pay the cost of IT vacancies. For more information, schedule a consultation.