MSPs and MSSPs are at the forefront of protecting businesses from cyber threats. However, they face a critical challenge: the growing cyber skills gap. The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals has skyrocketed, but the supply simply hasn’t kept pace. ISC²’s 2024 Workforce Study reports a global shortage of about 4.8 million cybersecurity workers. But the problem doesn’t end there. It’s not just the shortage of labor, but also the shortage of the right talent that can leave cybersecurity teams overstretched, clients at risk, and businesses struggling to find the expertise they need to stay secure.
To thrive in this environment, MSPs must proactively address the talent gap and get creative. This blog explores why the cyber skill gap exists, the risks of ignoring it, and actionable steps MSPs can take to overcome this challenge.
Why is there a cyber skills gap?
The cybersecurity talent gap stems from several critical factors, making it increasingly difficult for service providers to hire and retain skilled professionals. Understanding these challenges is key to addressing them effectively.
The Critical Need for Specialized Cybersecurity Skills
A 2025 global study from SANS and GIAC revealed that 52% of cybersecurity leaders say the real issue is not the number of people but a lack of the right people with the right skills. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, attack surfaces expand, and technology evolves, cybersecurity professionals must possess a diverse and ever-evolving skillset, including expertise in network security, cloud environments, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and compliance frameworks.
The same study highlighted a significant shift in hiring priorities. Technical capability now ranks as the top criterion for candidates, surpassing work experience. Notably, certifications have become the second most important qualification during the hiring process.
This creates a moving target for recruiters, as the qualifications needed today may shift tomorrow. Finding candidates who possess the right mix of technical skills and adaptability can be a significant hurdle for MSPs.
2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Research Report by SANS | GIAC
Security Professionals Are Expensive and Hard to Find
The ongoing shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals has significantly increased competition for talent. As demand rises, so do salaries, making it difficult for MSPs, particularly smaller providers, to attract and retain the expertise needed to deliver comprehensive security services. This talent gap can lead to higher operational costs, delays in service delivery, and added pressure on existing teams, ultimately impacting the quality and scalability of cybersecurity offerings.
Big Companies Attract Top Talent
Tech giants and large enterprises often have the resources to offer enticing salaries, generous benefits, and high-profile career opportunities. These factors make it difficult for MSPs to compete for top-tier cybersecurity talent. Skilled professionals are often drawn to the prestige and financial security of working for major corporations, leaving small to mid-sized MSPs with fewer options when it comes to hiring experienced staff.
The Burnout Factor
The cybersecurity field is notorious for its high-pressure environment. Professionals are often tasked with protecting critical systems under tight deadlines, responding to incidents, and staying up to date on the latest threat vectors and regulatory changes. This intense workload can lead to burnout, causing frequent turnover and creating a revolving door of talent. For MSPs, this means not only struggling to fill open roles but also dealing with the ongoing challenge of retaining their existing team members.
What are the risks of ignoring the shortage?
Failing to address the cyber skills shortage can have serious consequences for MSPs, their clients, and their overall growth potential. These risks include:
- Overstretched Teams: When staffing is insufficient, existing team members may be forced to take on more work, increasing the likelihood of mistakes, reduced efficiency, which can eventually lead to employee burnout.
- Missed Growth Opportunities: Limited staffing capacity can prevent MSPs from taking on new clients or expanding their service offerings. This hinders business growth and leaves money on the table.
- Erosion of Client Trust and Business Loss: A shortage of skilled professionals could compromise an MSP’s capacity to deliver high-quality cybersecurity services. The inability to adequately protect client environments can lead to security incidents, resulting in significant loss of client trust, reputational damage, and client churn.
To avoid these outcomes, MSPs must take proactive steps to address the talent gap and build resilient teams capable of meeting the demands of modern cybersecurity.
5 Strategies to Overcome the Cyber Skills Gap
Addressing the cyber skills gap requires a multifaceted approach (and a little creativity) that taps a good balance of investing in people and adopting platforms and processes that let MSPs scale their expertise efficiently.
Here are five strategies MSPs can implement to close the gap and strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities:
1. Leverage Automation and AI
Automation and AI tools can dramatically lighten the load on cybersecurity teams by streamlining repetitive tasks, eliminating inefficiencies, and enabling consistency across clients. By adopting AI-powered cybersecurity tools, service providers can operationalize best practices and do more with their existing team, reducing the pressure to find senior-level talent.
Learn how to leverage automation to improve workflows and grow your business in The Service Provider’s Guide to Automating Cybersecurity and Compliance Management.
2. Standardize Service Delivery with a vCISO Services
Beyond task automation, implementing a comprehensive vCISO platform like Cynomi provides a structured vCISO services framework that standardizes your entire cybersecurity and compliance portfolio and workflow. With Cynomi’s “CISO Copilot” guiding every action, junior-level staff can confidently execute complex cybersecurity and compliance tasks, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery. This reduces reliance on senior-level talent for day-to-day operations and frees them up to focus on strategic initiatives.
3. Invest in Training and Development
Upskilling the existing workforce is one of the most effective ways to address the talent shortage. MSPs should offer ongoing training and support employees in pursuing certification programs to ensure their team members stay ahead of emerging threats and technologies. Certifications such as CompTIA Security+, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) are highly valuable in the cybersecurity field. In addition to formal training, MSPs can establish mentorship programs, pairing experienced team members with newer employees to accelerate skill development. By prioritizing education and growth, MSPs can build a highly skilled team from within.
Cynomi’s vCISO Academy is a free, professional learning platform that can further support this effort by equipping team members with structured, CISO-level knowledge and practical skills.
4. Build a Strong Company Culture
There is a relatively high voluntary employee turnover rate in the cybersecurity industry, so maintaining a positive and supportive company culture is a powerful tool for attracting and retaining talent. MSPs should strive to create an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to grow. This starts with fostering open communication, encouraging collaboration, and recognizing individual contributions. Employees who feel connected to their workplace and aligned with its mission are far more likely to remain loyal, reducing turnover and building a more stable team. MSPs should continuously monitor turnover rates within their cybersecurity teams to better understand employee retention and attrition trends.
5. Showcase Career Growth Opportunities
Cybersecurity professionals are often ambitious and driven to advance their careers. MSPs can appeal to this mindset by clearly outlining career progression paths within the organization. For instance, an entry-level analyst might have the opportunity to grow into roles such as security engineer, incident responder, or even vCISO.
Platforms like Cynomi can facilitate this growth by exposing team members to strategic CISO-level functions, such as compliance management and strategic planning, helping them build the skills needed for senior roles. When professionals see a clear path to growth, they are more likely to choose (and remain with) an MSP that invests in their future.
Should MSPs Outsource or Scale Differently?
For many MSPs, outsourcing security roles may seem like a quick fix. While outsourcing can provide immediate expertise, it often comes with challenges: lack of consistency, dependency on external resources, and limited integration with your long-term strategy.
Instead, MSPs can turn to platforms like Cynomi that embed CISO-level expertise directly into their team’s daily workflows. Cynomi enables MSPs to empower junior staff to perform at a senior level and maintain control of service delivery without the high cost or complexity of recruiting and hiring senior experts or managing third parties.
Proactively Build a Resilient Future
The cybersecurity skills gap is a long-term challenge that MSPs must address head-on. By adopting proactive strategies, MSPs can overcome this obstacle and position themselves for sustainable growth. Investing in training, fostering a strong company culture, embracing automation, and leveraging platforms that operationalize expertise are all steps that can help MSPs build resilient teams and deliver exceptional security services.
By taking these measures, MSPs can protect their clients more effectively, gain their trust, and drive business success, even in the face of a challenging talent market.
See Cynomi in Action: Book a Demo
With Cynomi, MSPs can expand their cybersecurity and compliance offerings, reduce the burden on overstretched teams, and meet client expectations, all without the struggle of filling hard-to-hire roles. Cynomi acts as your CISO Copilot, extending your team’s capabilities and helping you thrive despite the industry-wide talent shortage.
Book a personalized demo to see how Cynomi can streamline your operations.