Some years ago, my cyber team at my prompting had T-shirts prepared for an offsite meeting. They were bright pink (not black) and said, “Cyber Rock Star.” We wore our T-shirts proudly, and the team was very successful, as a group and individually. 

To fix issues brought about by the cybersecurity talent gap, we have to lead by taking the challenge on. It simply won’t solve itself, and just by competing for existing talent, we are not helping — or ensuring greater security. We are only driving salaries higher.

Some strong interventions by companies, industries, and, where appropriate, government bodies will assist in accelerating an answer to the gap. In the meantime, as CISO, you must take care of your teams, look inward for talent, establish meaningful upskilling and career development programs, and widen your lens to overlooked talent pools when hiring.