Talent shortage in cybersecurity, whose fault?

Cassidian, Thales, Sogeti ... The industrial cyber struggling to recruit specialists they need for their development. They are asking the state to strengthen training in this area.

There is a lack of specialists in cybersecurity. The shortage of talent returns repeatedly in the debates in the International Forum of cybersecurity, an event organized on 28 and 29 January 2013 by the National Gendarmerie, the Regional Council of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and society strategic consulting CEIS. "We have 30 positions that we are unable to provide," laments Sébastien Heon, Director of Public Affairs CyberSecurity Cassidian, a company specially created in 2012 by Cassidian, the EADS subsidiary security, to strengthen the market cybersecurity. Thales, Sogeti, Orange, Bull, Atos ... Other heavyweights cybersecurity French encounter the same difficulties.

The ANSSI accused of draining the pool

"The recruitment machine running at full speed in the business, but also ANSSI, the DGSE and other security services of the state, says Philippe Leroy, Deputy Director General in charge of the development strategy of the activity cybersecurity Thales. Everybody recruits, which creates tensions on the labor market in this area. " The ANSSI (National Security Agency Information Systems), created in 2009 to help the government and enterprises to build an active strategy on the subject, is accused of draining the labor market by drawing the best experts in the field in France. The French agency focused its cyber workforce of 250 people at the end of 2012 to 350 in July 2013. She is currently looking to hire about 70 additional specialists.

The major manufacturers are not far behind. Supported by a rapidly developing market (growth of 15-20% per year according to the forecasts of Pierre Audoin Consultants), they all seek to strengthen their squads. Cassidian CyberSecurity aims to multiply its turnover in 2017 (50 million euros in 2012), which involves the swelling of its limited human resources today to 400 people. Thales, the first French player to cybersecurity today with 600 people in this area, has hired 100 professionals in 2012 and expects the same volume of hires in 2013. Are particularly sought Ethical Hackers profiles (specialists who try to break into the information system to reveal the vulnerabilities), architects of information systems security and cryptology specialists.

Manufacturers are organized

"The shortage is as much about quality than quantity, is Jean-Michel Orozco, CEO of Cassidian CyberSecurity. We are faced with a lethal threat that would prevent us from developing as we would like." That is why the company has set up in cooperation with a master SupTelecom specializing in cybersecurity. Between the first class this year. Their sides, Thales and Sogeti have created a chair cyber school of Saint Cyr. The inaugural lecture was given in November 2012. To overcome the difficulties of recruitment, Thales has implemented in 2011 a program of cooptation. Internal employees are encouraged to play their networks to bring candidates. Specialist hired and is then followed in its infancy but also in the evolution of his career as an employee who has co-opted. This program accounts for nearly 90% of talent recruited in 2012. Alone, Philippe Leroy, a former colonel in the Air Force, responsible for security of information systems has attracted 10 people.


Manufacturers also rely on the state to strengthen the capacity of public training system in the field of cybersecurity. They welcomed the efforts by schools as Epita (School of Computer and advanced techniques). Except that it will take three years to see results.

The Clusif, club information security French, recognizes the reality of the problem. But it currently has no figures on the extent of the shortage. According to its president Lazaro Pejsachowiz and former head of security Bull, but be careful not to succumb to the temptation of the excitement: "We must be careful not to ask the public system to train too many people. The result will be in 5 or 6 years. Yet nobody knows how will the job market in that time. should avoid repeating the mistakes of the past in other areas. "