Centric Consulting's Cybersecurity Talent Playbook
In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Centric Consulting has unveiled its latest resource titled _"Cyber Expertise at Scale: Your Playbook for Scoring an All-Star Team"_. This guide is designed to assist organizations in developing resilient cybersecurity teams as the threat landscape continues to evolve. With a staggering global deficit of approximately 4.76 million cybersecurity professionals, the need for effective strategies has never been more critical.
Understanding the Challenge
The growing challenges associated with traditional hiring paradigms are well-documented. Shane O'Donnell, the Vice President of Cybersecurity Services at Centric Consulting, urged that conventional recruitment methods are becoming increasingly inadequate for tackling cyber threats. Static job descriptions, slow recruitment processes, and isolated teams often fail to address urgent cybersecurity needs effectively. The average time to fill critical cybersecurity positions can extend to several months, leading to a deepening skill gap.
Moreover, retention is a significant hurdle, with over 60% of cybersecurity professionals considering leaving their posts within a year, according to the 2025 Cybersecurity Staff Compensation Report. This scenario increases the vulnerability of organizations to significant security breaches, underscoring the necessity for alternative hiring approaches.
A New Approach to Building Cyber Teams
Centric Consulting's newly released playbook addresses these pressing challenges by offering leaders a framework to build competent cybersecurity teams. The resources include:
- - Cyber Talent Needs Assessment: This tool aligns business needs, such as compliance, incident response, and digital transformations, with role requirements prioritized by urgency.
- - Cyber Expertise Matrix: This comprehensive matrix provides profiles of key roles, such as virtual CISOs, compliance managers, and security engineers. It specifies the necessary deliverables and success metrics for when each role is required.
- - Build-vs-Buy Decision Tree: This decision-making framework enables leaders to balance internal hires, external assistance, or hybrid models based on budgetary constraints and organizational continuity.
- - Future-Focused Insights: The playbook also sheds light on emerging skills necessary for navigating the evolving landscape of AI, cloud security, and threat intelligence.
During October, as part of their initiative for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Centric Consulting is committed to offering extensive resources and valuable insights. Leaders are encouraged to use the playbook as a strategic tool for cultivating elite cybersecurity teams.
For those interested in downloading the guide, _"Cyber Expertise at Scale: Your Playbook for Scoring an All-Star Team"_, further information is readily available on Centric Consulting's website.
About Centric Consulting
Centric Consulting has made a name for itself as an international business and technology consulting firm dedicated to solving complex client issues. With over 1,400 employees and 14 locations across the United States and India, they have received numerous accolades, including recognition from Forbes as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms. The organization's strength lies in its diverse portfolio, combining expertise in various domains, including AI, cyber risk, and compliance. Centric continually adapts its teams to meet client demands, ensuring that scalability and effectiveness are at the forefront of its operations.
For more information about their cybersecurity services, you can visit their official website.