By Tom Field (SecurityEditor)
The cybersecurity industry is facing a critical hiring gap fueled by inept recruitment practices and rising AI demands. Founder of Bolt Resources and former vice president of North Texas ISSA, Jessie Bolton said organizations need to revamp their hiring processes and attract and retain cyber talent.
There’s a disconnect between current workforce needs and hiring expectations. While companies seek professionals with both deep experience and AI expertise, many qualified candidates are overlooked due to rigid processes, Bolton said.
“The cyber talent gap has been overused. It’s evident throughout the whole world, but it’s something that we seem to not be getting ahead of,” she said. “We’re getting further behind with the demand of AI skills, and we want cybersecurity professionals to have five years of experience but right out of college.”
Bolton works directly with CISOs and C-suites to reform HR practices and build stronger, more compassionate organizations. For Bolton, empathy is more than a buzzword. It’s a cybersecurity imperative.
In a interview with Information Security Media Group at Data Security Summit in Dallas, Bolton also discussed:
The reasons why qualified cyber graduates remain unemployed;
Advice for the next generation of CISOs;
The importance of embedding empathy and humility into cyber leadership training.
Bolton is a strategic adviser who specializes in cybersecurity leadership and business resilience. As the founder and CEO of Bolt Resources, she partners with business and security leaders to design modern strategies where cybersecurity is embedded into business operations, governance fuels momentum and workforce development becomes a strategic engine for growth. She is also on the board of several cybersecurity organizations including (ISC)² DFW and ISSA’s North Texas Chapter.
