Is there an infosec skills shortage? Many industry surveys would indicate yes. And even if there isn’t a great shortage today – the rate at which new professionals are joining the security industry is outpaced by the number of company’s creating systems which need some level of security oversight.
Ken Baylor, former CISO at Pivotal software and Symantec founded Stealth Worker to address not just the infosec skills gap, but the inefficiencies that are found in the current hiring processes that can currently take on average anywhere between 22 to 28 weeks in large corporations.
Small organisations have their own challenges where hiring a dedicated full-time firewall administrator or security engineer may not be affordable.
This is where Stealth Worker believes it can add value to companies struggling to find the most appropriate security skills and to security professionals looking to take on extra work.
Stealth Worker can be likened to AirBnB or PeoplePerHour for the information security industry. A Firewall administrator may find themselves with 10 hours spare a week that they can offer to companies. In turn companies looking for a part-time firewall admin can tap into that resource on demand.
For temporary projects, companies can use Stealth Worker to create entire virtual teams at in an efficient and affordable way.
Use of Stealth Worker is free for individuals; the hiring company pays Stealth Worker 15% of the hired worker’s hourly rate and Stealth Worker handles the payment process.
Javnalysis
I like seeing companies that look to disrupt traditional infosec choke points. The approach Stealth Worker is taking to try and help address the infosec skills gap is forward-thinking and can change the way in which security skills are acquired.
The challenge when trying to disrupt any established process is that there will always be resistance. In this case, Stealth Worker will tread on the toes of traditional recruitment agencies, managed service providers and outsourcing companies. No small feat by any stretch of the imagination – which is where a collaborative approach to partner with existing providers will probably work best.
For all its merits, the most awkward of conversations will entail department heads admitting their staff are not fully utilised and can sub-contract their skills elsewhere. While many US states including California can have very narrowly interpreted non-compete agreements, it may not be the case everywhere.
Small or mid-sized enterprises will probably most benefit from Stealth Workers to start with. If Stealth Worker can build a sizeable foothold, it will have built the foundations to expand into other industry’s beyond infosec.
Javvad Malik 