TL;DR
- Decentralization is widening the cybersecurity talent gap, especially in rural and underserved regions.
- Major metro areas attract most of the existing talent, while smaller communities are left vulnerable, despite being home to critical infrastructure.
- Solving the workforce shortage requires a stronger talent pipeline, starting in high school and supported by local training opportunities.
- Hands-on, real-world experience is essential—students need more than theory to be job-ready.
- Businesses must take an active role in training the next generation through mentorships, apprenticeships, and partnerships with schools.
- Closing the talent gap is a national security issue that demands long-term investment and collaboration across sectors.
The recent shift in cybersecurity responsibilities from the federal government to state and local governments introduces a range of challenges. One of the most pressing issues is how unevenly cybersecurity talent is distributed across the country. This move is likely to widen the existing cybersecurity talent gap, especially in areas already struggling to keep up. It highlights the need for a more strategic approach to developing, retaining, and deploying cybersecurity talent nationwide.
A Workforce Shortfall That Isn’t Evenly Felt
A February 2025 StateScoop article cited a national shortage of between 500,000 and 700,000 cybersecurity professionals, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). That number alone is concerning, but it becomes more serious considering how that shortage plays out geographically. The shortfall doesn’t affect all regions equally.
Major metro areas like San Francisco, New York, and Austin have built-in advantages. They already have established tech ecosystems, competitive salaries, and access to training and talent pipelines. These places will continue to attract professionals and absorb more of the limited workforce.
Rural areas, on the other hand, are starting at a disadvantage. They often lack the infrastructure, funding, and economic incentives needed to build or attract cyber talent. Many are already under-resourced, and this shift only deepens the cybersecurity talent gap. What results is a cybersecurity landscape shaped not by risk or need, but by who can afford the talent.
The Stakes Are Higher in Rural Communities
Rural communities aren’t just underserved; they’re often more vulnerable. Many rely on legacy systems and operate with limited cybersecurity staff or none at all, which increases the likelihood of a successful attack.
But the real risk is bigger than in any town. Many rural areas are home to critical infrastructure: water systems, power grids, hospitals, and agricultural operations. If these systems are compromised, the fallout doesn’t stop at county lines. A ransomware attack on a small utility provider can ripple across an entire region, impacting supply chains, public health, and emergency response.
This is where the talent issue becomes a security issue. When one area can’t protect its assets, it creates vulnerabilities that can affect everyone.
Local Talent, Regional Risk
A limited cybersecurity workforce in any single jurisdiction weakens the security posture of the entire region. You can’t build strong cyber defenses without people who know what they’re doing. And right now, many communities don’t have enough of those people.
Retaining skilled professionals is essential. That means more than just offering a paycheck. Professionals need access to continuous learning, training, and career growth if you want them to stay. But even if we solve retention, we still need to solve the pipeline problem.
We’re not going to hire our way out of this shortage. We must grow the workforce ourselves, starting earlier and building stronger on-ramps into the field.
The Pipeline Has to Start in High School
State and local leaders, businesses, schools, and training organizations all have a role to play in closing the cybersecurity talent gap. The earlier we start preparing students, the better. High school juniors and seniors should have access to programs that introduce them to cybersecurity concepts, hands-on tools, and career paths. They should be able to leave high school ready to step into a job, an apprenticeship, or an intensive training program.
This is especially important for rural communities. Local talent is the most reliable and sustainable option. If you want people to stay and work where they live, you must give them opportunities to develop skills locally.
That means putting real resources behind high school, community college programs, and local training programs, ensuring they have up-to-date tools, instructors with industry experience, and partnerships that open the door to actual work.
Learning Has to Be Practical, Not Just Theoretical
Students can’t learn cybersecurity by reading about it. They need to practice. They need labs, simulations, real-world challenges, and hands-on projects. They need to understand how to respond to an incident, not just what a firewall does.
This is where business and industry need to step up. Work experience, whether it’s through internships, apprenticeships, or project-based learning, makes a huge difference. Companies don’t need to wait until someone has a degree to get involved. They can work with schools to design challenges, mentor students, or even open up real datasets (safely) for training purposes.
The point is to close the gap between what’s taught and what’s expected on the job.
The Skills Gap Is an Experience Gap
We talk a lot about the cybersecurity "skills gap," but at the heart of it is an experience gap. Too often, entry-level roles require 2–3 years of experience. Meanwhile, students graduate from programs with plenty of knowledge but no real practice.
We have to reverse that. Let students build experience while they’re still in school. Make sure their path to certification includes applied work, not just study materials. Help them master the competencies laid out in the NICE Framework by using them.
Communities can’t afford to wait years for someone to gain experience on the job. We need workers who are ready to contribute on day one. That means making work experience part of how we train, not something that comes later.
The Role of Business Can’t Be Passive
Businesses often talk about the shortage of talent. But the solution isn’t waiting for someone else to fix it. Industry has to be part of the solution. That means engaging earlier, mentoring future workers, and working with schools to build better pathways into cybersecurity roles.
It also means removing barriers. Work experience shouldn’t be locked behind job postings that require credentials most people don’t have. Communities need faster ways to reach competency, and the best way to do that is by learning through doing.
Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical issue anymore; it’s a workforce issue, a regional security issue, and a community resilience issue. At the heart of it is the cybersecurity talent gap, which threatens our ability to protect critical systems nationwide. Solving it will require more than policy shifts. It will take partnerships, long-term planning, and a real investment in people.
