WiCyS Finds Skills-Based Talent Strategy Saves $127,000 Per Worker

Why CyberSecurity Needs a Human-Centric Approach With Women in CyberSecurity and FourOne Insights — Ai4

Ai4

Cybersecurity employers that replace subjective managerial promotions with structured mentorship and objective skills tracking yield over $127,000 in net savings per employee while fixing mid-career talent retention.

AI-assisted summary of Why CyberSecurity Needs a Human-Centric Approach With Women in CyberSecurity and FourOne Insights — original source. Check the original for full context.

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## Background Published on YouTube by the channel Ai4 on August 19, 2026, this presentation features Lynn Dohm (WiCyS) and Will Markow (FourOne Insights). The session explores a human-centric approach to cyber resilience, presenting joint research on skills-based planning, retention ROI, and workforce analytics.

## TL;DR Addressing converging demographic headwinds and rapid AI-driven shifts in cybersecurity, Lynn Dohm and Will Markow demonstrate why human talent strategy is a direct security imperative. WiCyS and FourOne Insights research highlights that women face mid-career glass ceilings and managerial exclusion despite outperforming baseline skill benchmarks across career tiers. By adopting talent-friendly practices such as structured mentorship and personalized training trajectories, organizations can realize over $127,000 in net lifetime savings per employee while advancing more women into leadership. The speakers urge leaders to bridge implementation gaps through objective skill tracking, third-party partnerships, and low-cost interventions like stretch assignments.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries an authoritative, pragmatic, and empirical tone, pairing social equity advocacy with rigorous economic modeling. Lynn Dohm delivers grounded, mission-driven insights from the field while Will Markow reinforces the discussion with analytical workforce datasets, creating a polished and complementary tag-team dynamic. The session feels intellectually compelling and solution-oriented, methodically dismantling assumptions with objective data before wrapping up on a warm, conversational note.

## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) The cybersecurity workforce faces converging pressures from rapid digitization and structural demographic constraints, creating narrow talent pipelines vulnerable to groupthink. - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) WiCyS serves nearly 12,000 members across 114 countries, operating with a primary mission to recruit, retain, and advance women throughout their cybersecurity careers. - [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) Aleria Research revealed that women in cybersecurity encounter a severe glass ceiling between 6 and 10 years of experience, with direct managers being five times more likely to be the source of exclusion. - [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) A competency evaluation across 60 technical skills established the 'WiCyS Edge,' proving WiCyS members outperform non-members at early-, mid-, and senior-career levels. - [06:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=381s) Roughly 25% of core cybersecurity skill requirements have shifted in the past two years, heavily accelerated by artificial intelligence. - [06:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=381s) Adopting skills-based talent practices, personalized learning pathways, and formal mentorship yields an average lifetime savings exceeding $127,000 per employee. - [06:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=381s) Implementing talent-friendly, skills-based frameworks correlates directly with higher proportions of women advancing into executive and leadership positions. - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) A significant implementation gap exists where the talent practices that deliver the highest ROI remain among the least adopted across cybersecurity employers. - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) Skills-based progression frequently fails when organizations rely on subjective managerial discretion rather than empirical, objective skill assessments. - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) Zero-cost initiatives like stretch assignments offer employers an immediate, high-impact mechanism to build cross-functional capabilities and raise worker visibility. - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) Partnering with third-party organizations like WiCyS enables small and mid-sized enterprises to deploy mature mentorship programs without massive internal infrastructure investments. - [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) The cyber talent market suffers a bifurcated mismatch: an oversaturated entry-level pool competing for automated roles paired with an acute deficit of mid- and senior-level experts. - [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) Talent attrition and stagnation are direct operational cybersecurity risks that compromise threat resilience, rather than isolated human resources concerns. - [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) Long-term cyber resilience in the AI era requires multi-year commitments to developing human power skills, notably ethical judgment and relational leadership.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) Converging Pressures on the Cybersecurity Workforce

Lynn Dohm introduces herself as the Executive Director of Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) alongside Will Markow, founder and CEO of FourOne Insights. WiCyS, established as a 501(c)(3) member-based nonprofit, is affectionately pronounced "we-cis" to signify a "global cyber sisterhood" dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women across the domain. The organization boasts an expansive footprint with nearly 12,000 members across 114 countries, 70 professional affiliates providing boots-on-the-ground support globally across Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada, and 350 student chapters actively preparing the next generation. For WiCyS, the core objective goes far beyond merely getting individuals into cybersecurity; the existential challenge lies in ensuring they stay and find long-term career advancement.

The modern cybersecurity workforce is being reshaped by two powerful converging forces: rapid digitization and deep demographic constraints. Digitization brings an onslaught of emerging technologies, escalating regulatory mandates, and the deep integration of security across all functional business units. Simultaneously, the talent pipeline faces severe structural friction from an aging population, falling birth rates, reduced immigration rates, and declining overall labor force participation. These pressures create narrow talent pathways vulnerable to groupthink—where homogeneous teams lack the diverse cognitive perspectives necessary to outsmart increasingly sophisticated, evolving cyber threats.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Converging Workforce Pressures in Cybersecurity subgraph Pressures["Workforce Pressures"] A["Rapid Digitization<br/>Tech, regulations, integration"] B["Demographic Constraints<br/>Aging, lower birth & immigration rates"] end subgraph Impact["Workforce Consequences"] C["Narrow Pathways & Groupthink"] D["Reduced Ability to Counter Evolving Threats"] end A --> C B --> C C --> D ```

- **Global WiCyS reach:** ~12,000 members across 114 nations, 70 professional affiliates, and 350 student chapters. - **Demographic headwinds:** Structural workforce fragility fueled by lower birth rates, reduced immigration, aging workers, and dropping labor participation. - **Cognitive risk:** Homogeneous teams foster groupthink, directly hindering an organization's capacity to counter modern threat actors.

---

[02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) The Exclusion Baseline and the "WiCyS Edge"

Recognizing that building an incoming talent pipeline is futile if talent leaks out immediately, WiCyS spent 2023 partnering with Aleria Research to quantify workplace exclusion and establish concrete benchmarks on retention. The study yielded three sobering findings: first, women in cybersecurity encounter a distinct glass ceiling between 6 to 10 years into their careers; second, the lack of career growth and advancement opportunities was identified as an extraordinarily steep barrier—higher than Aleria had observed in any other industry studied; and third, women were five times more likely to experience exclusion originating directly from their immediate managers.

Armed with these findings, Dohm toured major industry conferences throughout 2024—including Black Hat, RSA Conference (RSAC), and BSides—to share the research. Following one presentation, an attendee suggested to Dohm that if women were stalling out mid-career, "it must be a performance issue." To test that premise objectively, WiCyS partnered with SkillRex to conduct an assessment covering 60 core cybersecurity competencies. The data conclusively debunked the critique: WiCyS members systematically outperformed non-WiCyS peers across all career tiers regardless of gender, establishing the "WiCyS Edge." Yet when organizations shifted toward skills-based and merit-based advancement in late 2024 and early 2025, promotions remained tethered to the discretion of direct managers—the very origin point of the fivefold exclusion disparity.

- **Aleria Research findings (2023):** - A definitive career glass ceiling hits women between 6 and 10 years of experience. - Lack of upward career mobility ranked higher as a barrier than in any other surveyed sector. - Direct managers were 5x more likely to be the source of exclusionary experiences for women. - **The "WiCyS Edge" (SkillRex assessment across 60 competencies):** - **Early-career members:** Outperformed non-members by 21%. - **Mid-career members:** Outperformed non-members by 14.5%. - **Senior professionals:** Outperformed non-members by 8%.

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[06:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=381s) Quantifying the ROI of Skills-Based Talent Strategy

Taking over the discussion, Will Markow highlights why granular skills tracking serves as the essential unit of analysis for evaluating modern workforce disruptions. In cybersecurity, skill requirements are moving targets: in the past two years alone, roughly 25% of core cyber skill requirements have shifted, driven predominantly by artificial intelligence. To help employers navigate this flux, FourOne Insights paired WiCyS survey results with massive datasets of longitudinal worker career histories and real-time online job postings to model the quantifiable business return of adopting progressive talent practices.

The findings demonstrate that the most effective organizational strategies are explicitly "skills-based and talent friendly"—meaning employers actively map existing competencies, invest in targeted upskilling, and build structured career pathways. When organizations provide formal mentorship and personalized training trajectories, the financial return is substantial: employers realize an average lifetime savings exceeding $127,000 per worker. These savings stem from slashing recruitment spend through accelerated time-to-hire, minimizing costly turnover, and unlocking higher baseline productivity. Concurrently, companies embracing these practices see a significant uptick in women rising into cybersecurity leadership positions, transforming talent retention into a verified win-win for corporate balance sheets and worker equity alike.

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: ROI of Talent-Friendly Practices subgraph Inputs["Talent Practices"] A["Personalized Career & Training Pathways"] B["Structured Mentorship Programs"] end subgraph Outcomes["Financial & Organizational Impact"] C["Accelerated Hiring & Lower Recruiting Costs"] D["Elevated Worker Retention & Productivity"] E[">$127,000 Lifetime Savings per Employee"] end A --> C A --> D B --> C B --> D C --> E D --> E ```

- **Skill velocity:** Approximately one-quarter (25%) of core cybersecurity skill requirements changed over the preceding two-year period, heavily propelled by AI. - **Economic upside:** Formal mentorship programs and customized training pathways yield upwards of $127,000 in net savings over an employee's tenure. - **Pipeline equity:** Organizations employing talent-friendly, skills-based frameworks matriculate substantially higher rates of women into executive and leadership tiers.

---

[11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) The Implementation Gap and Third-Party Solutions

Despite clear economic incentives, adoption remains starkly uneven across the sector. Markow points out a frustrating paradox: the talent practices that yield the highest return on investment are currently among the least deployed across cybersecurity employers. Furthermore, when companies do attempt skills-based development, they routinely undermine the initiative by relying on subjective manager evaluations rather than objective competency baselines. Markow warns that relying on managerial bias rather than empirical assessments creates a classic "garbage in, garbage out scenario" that stifles career progression and reinforces existing inequities.

Recognizing that small and mid-sized enterprises often lack the internal infrastructure to launch complex talent programs, Markow emphasizes the outsized value of third-party partnerships. Aligning with entities such as WiCyS allows organizations to tap into mature external mentorship and professional development networks while capturing the same retention and productivity gains seen in fully customized internal programs. To assist leaders, the report details a Talent Practice Prioritization Matrix that evaluates interventions across expected ROI and current market adoption, alongside tailored frameworks for specific bottlenecks like recruitment, retention, or rapid upskilling. Employers can achieve meaningful traction without massive budgets simply by instituting zero-cost initiatives like stretch assignments, which break day-to-day monotony, build cross-functional skills, and elevate employee visibility.

- **Managerial subjectivity:** Internal advancement frequently fails because skills assessments default to direct managers rather than objective skill data. - **The Priority Matrix:** Helps organizations isolate underutilized, high-ROI practices (such as structured mentoring) that differentiate their employer value proposition. - **Low-barrier interventions:** Stretch assignments serve as an immediate, high-impact lever to build organizational flexibility and employee engagement without heavy capital outlay.

---

[16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) A Human-Centric Strategic Imperative

Lynn Dohm concludes by examining the structural state of the cyber labor landscape. The ecosystem is grappling with a pronounced mismatch: there is an apparent surplus of entry-level applicants competing for junior positions undergoing disruption from automation and AI, contrasted against an acute, ongoing shortage of skilled professionals at the mid-career and senior levels. Dohm stresses that human talent dynamics cannot be dismissed as merely an administrative "HR problem"—failing to proactively manage retention and professional development creates acute, long-term security vulnerabilities for an organization's threat posture.

Modern security leadership demands a strategic commitment spanning three- to five-year horizons, with a strong focus on cultivating foundational "power skills," including ethical judgment and relational leadership. Leveraging insights from FourOne Insights and researchers behind benchmarks like CyberSeek and Lightcast data, Dohm urges leaders to operationalize these empirical findings. Organizations are invited to access the complete research publications through the WiCyS portal, explore FourOne Insights' strategic advisory resources, or partner directly with the global sisterhood to build durable, human-centric security operations.

- **Talent distribution imbalances:** Entry-level talent saturation collides with severe skill deficiencies across mid-level and senior technical benches. - **Strategic risk:** Workforce attrition and talent stagnation represent immediate operational cybersecurity risks rather than routine human resources issues. - **Leadership focus:** Cultivating enduring human capabilities—specifically ethical judgment and relational leadership—is essential to navigating AI-era disruption.

[18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) Audience Q&A and Closing Remarks

With approximately one minute remaining on the clock, the speakers open the floor to the audience to see if anyone has any final questions. When no hands go up, they joke in good humor that their presentation must have been thorough enough to have "answered all your questions."

Wrapping up the session on a warm and upbeat note, they express their sincere gratitude to the attendees for joining them and wish everyone a great rest of their day.

## Notable quotes > [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) global cyber sisterhood — Lynn Dohm

> [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) it must be a performance issue — Lynn Dohm

> [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) WiCyS Edge — Lynn Dohm

> [06:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=381s) skills-based and talent friendly — Will Markow

> [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) garbage in, garbage out scenario — Will Markow

> [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) HR problem — Lynn Dohm

> [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) power skills — Lynn Dohm

> [18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) answered all your questions — Lynn Dohm

## Mentioned Lynn Dohm, Will Markow, Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), FourOne Insights, Aleria Research, SkillRex, Black Hat, RSA Conference (RSAC), BSides, CyberSeek, Lightcast, Ai4

## Video description Lynn Dohm - Executive Director, Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Will Markow - Founder and CEO, FourOne Insights

While AI redefines the digital landscape, human talent remains the core of cyber resilience. This session explores a human-centric approach, leveraging research from WiCyS and FourOne Insights to transform cybersecurity into a mission-driven ecosystem.

Discover how high-impact practices—like skills-based planning and personalized learning—can return over $125,000 per employee while improving retention. Using internal data with external analytics, organizations gain a 360-degree view to bridge skill gaps, quantify ROI, and build a durable, talent-first pipeline for the future.

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M)

中文简报

WiCyS发现:基于技能的人才策略可为人均节省12.7万美元 用结构化导师机制和客观技能追踪取代主管主观晋升的网络安全雇主,不仅能解决职业中期的人才留存问题,还能为每位员工带来超过12.7万美元的净节省。 面对网络安全领域人口结构阻力与人工智能驱动的快速变革相交织的局面,Lynn Dohm与Will Markow阐述了为何人才战略是一项直接的安全要务。WiCyS与FourOne Insights的研究表明,尽管女性在各职业阶段的表现均优于基线技能标准,但她们在职业中期仍面临玻璃天花板和来自管理层的排斥。通过采用重视人才发展的举措(如结构化导师机制和个性化培训路径),组织在推动更多女性进入领导层的同时,还可为每位员工实现超过12.7万美元的终身净节省。演讲者敦促领导者通过客观的技能追踪、第三方合作以及拓展性任务等低成本干预措施,来弥合落地执行中的差距。 网络安全人才队伍正面临快速数字化与结构性人口制约的双重压力,导致人才输送渠道狭窄且易受群体思维影响。 (0:04) WiCyS在114个国家拥有近1.2万名会员,其核心宗旨是在女性的整个网络安全职业生涯中负责招募、留任并助力其晋升。 (0:04) Aleria Research的研究揭示,网络安全领域的女性在拥有6至10年工作经验时会遭遇严重的玻璃天花板,且直属主管成为排斥源头的可能性要高出五倍。 (2:42) 一项涵盖60项专业技能的能力评估确立了“WiCyS优势”,证实WiCyS会员在职业初、中、高级阶段的表现均优于非会员。 (2:42) 在人工智能的强力推动下,过去两年中约有25%的核心网络安全技能需求发生了变化。 (6:21)

Reading summary

Lynn Dohm of Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) and Will Markow of FourOne Insights argue that demographic constraints and subjective workplace exclusion threaten cybersecurity defenses, which can be mitigated through objective, skills-based talent practices that generate over $127,000 in net savings per employee. Demographic Pressures and the Risk of Groupthink (0:04) The cybersecurity sector faces simultaneous challenges from rapid digitization and demographic contraction. As emerging technologies and regulations integrate security across all business units, the talent supply is constrained by declining birth rates, lower immigration, an aging workforce, and falling labor participation. WiCyS, representing roughly 12,000 members across 114 countries, warns that these compounding pressures produce narrow hiring pipelines. According to Dohm, homogeneous teams foster groupthink, leaving organizations without the diverse cognitive perspectives required to anticipate and counter increasingly complex cyber threats. Addressing these structural pipeline issues requires shifting organizational focus from basic entry-level recruitment to long-term talent retention and career progression. Debunking Performance Myths with the WiCyS Edge (2:42) A 2023 study by WiCyS and Aleria Research identified significant structural barriers for female security professionals. The research found that women encounter a pronounced glass ceiling between 6 and 10 years into their careers, with limited upward mobility cited as a steeper barrier than in any other industry surveyed. Crucially, direct managers were five times more likely to be the source of exclusionary experiences for women than any other workplace cohort. In response to assertions that mid-career stagnation stemmed from underperformance, WiCyS partnered with SkillRex to evaluate professionals across 60 core competencies. The assessment revealed that WiCyS members systematically outperformed peers across all career tiers—by 21% at early career, 14.5% at mid-career, and 8% at senior levels. Despite this objective competency advantage, Dohm observed that promotional advancement across the industry remained tied to subjective managerial discretion. Quantifying the Financial ROI of Skills-Based Development (6:21) Markow reported that approximately 25% of core cybersecurity skill requirements shifted between 2023 and 2025, largely accelerated by artificial intelligence. To help employers respond to this volatility, FourOne Insights analyzed longitudinal career histories and online job postings alongside WiCyS survey data to evaluate talent-friendly practices, including competency mapping, structured mentorship, and customized training tracks. The analysis calculated that formalized mentorship and tailored training pathways yield average lifetime savings exceeding $127,000 per employee. These cost reductions stem from shorter time-to-hire cycles, diminished recruitment costs, reduced turnover, and increased baseline productivity. Concurrently, organizations applying these frameworks matriculated women into senior and executive leadership roles at significantly higher rates. Managerial Bias and the Implementation Paradox (11:01) Markow highlighted a market contradiction: the talent strategies that demonstrate the highest return on investment remain the least frequently implemented among cybersecurity employers. Furthermore, organizations attempting skills-based progression often default back to subjective evaluations from direct managers rather than empirical skill data, generating a flawed evaluation cycle that sustains existing disparities. For small and mid-sized enterprises lacking internal HR resources, Markow recommends partnering with established third-party entities like WiCyS to access structured development networks. Employers can also deploy low-barrier interventions, such as zero-cost stretch assignments, which broaden technical proficiencies, break daily routine, and elevate employee visibility across business units. Workforce Attrition as an Operational Threat (16:30) Dohm noted an ongoing structural imbalance in the labor market: an apparent surplus of junior applicants competing for automated entry-level positions, juxtaposed against a severe shortage of qualified mid- and senior-level technical talent. Dohm emphasized that talent attrition is an operational security liability directly affecting threat posture, not merely an internal administrative matter. To manage AI-driven industry transitions, security leaders are urged to adopt three- to five-year planning horizons. This strategic outlook prioritizes durable capabilities, including ethical judgment and relational leadership, supported by workforce benchmark data from sources like CyberSeek and Lightcast. Dohm and Markow conclude that organizations must treat retention and skills tracking as mission-critical security imperatives. However, the briefing leaves unaddressed how employers can systematically dismantle entrenched managerial bias when formal performance evaluations continue to depend on direct-manager discretion.

精炼阅读摘要

网络安全行业正受到技术快速演进与人口结构萎缩的双重挤压,网络安全女性组织(WiCyS)与 FourOne Insights 指出,单纯扩充入门招聘无法化解人才危机,企业必须建立以人为本、基于技能的职业通道,消除针对女性从业者的系统性留存壁垒,以实现显著的运营效益和安全防御能力。 技术演进与人口紧缩加剧团队同质化风险 (0:04) 网络安全人才生态目前正承受快速数字化与严峻人口约束的叠加冲击。数字化转型带来了新兴技术激增、监管要求趋严以及安全职能与业务单元的深度交织;与此同时,老龄化加剧、出生率下滑、移民率走低以及整体劳动力参与率下降,对行业人才输送渠道构成了深层结构性摩擦。WiCyS 执行董事 Lynn Dohm 指出,这种环境容易导致狭隘的人才吸纳路径,形成高度同质化的团队结构,从而滋生群体思维(groupthink),削弱机构抵御日益复杂多变的网络威胁所需的认知多样性。 面对这一挑战,作为在全球 114 个国家拥有近 1.2 万名会员、70 个专业分会和 350 个学生分会的非营利组织,WiCyS 强调其核心任务不仅在于帮助人员进入网络安全行业,更在于解决其长期留存与职业晋升问题,以维护人才管道的弹性与多样性。 职场排斥基准与技能测评打破绩效质疑 (2:42) 针对人才流失问题,WiCyS 于 2023 年联合 Aleria Research 开展了职场排斥基准研究。该研究得出了三项核心结论:首先,女性从业者在入行 6 至 10 年时会遭遇明确的职业天花板;其次,缺乏职业发展与晋升机会被列为极高壁垒,其严重程度超过了 Aleria 调研过的所有其他行业;第三,女性从业者遭遇的排斥经历中,有 5 倍的概率直接源自其直属主管。针对行业内部分人士关于女性职业停滞是由于“绩效问题”的质疑,WiCyS 联合 SkillRex 对 60 项核心网络安全能力展开客观评估,结果证实 WiCyS 成员在各个职业阶段的表现均系统性优于非会员同行,确立了“WiCyS 优势”。 测评数据显示,在初级职业阶段,其成员评分较非成员高出 21%;在中级阶段高出 14.5%;在资深专业人员中亦高出 8%。然而 Dohm 指出,即使组织在 2024 年末至 2025 年初逐步转向基于技能和绩效的晋升模式,实际晋升决定权仍高度依赖直属主管的自由裁量,而这正是排斥现象高发的核心源头。 技能驱动型人才战略的量化经济回报 (6:21) FourOne Insights 创始人兼首席执行官 Will Markow 提出,颗粒化的技能追踪是评估劳动力变迁的核心单元。在人工智能等技术的推动下,仅在过去两年内,网络安全领域的核心技能需求就发生了约 25% 的剧烈变动。为了量化先进人才策略的商业价值,FourOne Insights 将 WiCyS 的调研数据与涵盖长期职业履历及实时招聘职位的庞大数据集相结合,构建了量化模型。 分析表明,采取“以技能为基础且对人才友好”的策略能够为组织带来丰厚的财务回报。当雇主积极盘点现有能力、投资针对性技能提升,并提供正式的导师机制和定制化培训路径时,每名员工可在其任期内平均为雇主节省超过 12.7 万美元的终身成本。这些收益主要源于招聘周期缩短带来的招聘费用削减、人员流失率下降,以及员工基准生产力的提高;同时,此类实践还伴随着女性晋升至网络安全领导层比例的显著上升。 落地执行差距与重构安全治理的战略路径 (11:01) 尽管经济回报明确,但相关举措在网络安全雇主中的普及程度仍极不均衡。Markow 强调,投资回报率最高的人才实践在行业中的实际采纳率往往最低。此外,许多企业在推进技能发展时,依然依赖直属主管的主观评价而非客观能力基线,这种主管偏见造成了“垃圾进、垃圾出”的循环,进一步阻碍了公平晋升。针对中小企业缺乏内部培训机制的现状,Markow 建议借助 WiCyS 等第三方成熟网络获得导师与专业发展支持,或借助人才实践优先级矩阵采用零成本杠杆(例如提供拓展性工作任务,以提升员工视野和跨职能能力)。 从宏观劳动力结构来看,Dohm 强调当前网络安全领域存在严重的结构错配:大量初级求职者争夺易受自动化与人工智能冲击的基础岗位,而中高级资深技术人才却面临极度匮乏。Dohm 提醒安全领导层,人才流失绝非普通的人力资源行政问题,而是直接削弱威胁防御态势的操作风险。现代网络安全领导者需要确立 3 至 5 年的战略规划,重点培育涵盖伦理判断与关系领导力在内的持久“核心能力”(power skills),以应对人工智能时代的长期不确定性。 该演讲阐明了网络安全人才困境本质上是关乎组织防御态势的运营安全危机,单纯依靠前端吸纳无法化解供给矛盾。尽管研究证实客观技能评估与系统性导师机制能够带来显著的留存收益与财务回报,但在实际执行中,企业如何摆脱对主管主观裁决的惯性依赖,并在内部资源匮乏的情况下持续落实第三方合作机制,仍是行业亟待跨越的实践阻碍。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 本内容由 Ai4 频道于 2026 年 8 月 19 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。视频记录了网络安全女性组织(WiCyS)执行董事 Lynn Dohm 与 FourOne Insights 创始人兼 CEO Will Markow 的联合演讲,探讨了在 AI 重塑数字格局的背景下,如何通过以人为本的人力资源实践与量化研究来构建网络安全人才生态。 ## TL;DR 演讲揭示了网络安全领域面临的技术快速演变与人口结构限制的双重挑战,并指出女性从业者遭遇的玻璃天花板及排斥体验严重威胁着人才留存。研究数据证实,WiCyS 会员在各项核心技能上均优于非会员,且采用“以技能为本、对人才友好”实践的企业在员工雇佣周期内平均可节省 127,00 ## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) Lynn Dohm 阐述 WiCyS(Women in CyberSecurity)的使命是招募、留存与晋升网络安全领域的女性人才,并强调“人”才是网络安全最宝贵的资产。 - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) 网络安全劳动力市场正面临技术的快速数字化与人口结构限制的两极挤压,导致人才通道变窄且易引发群体思维(Groupthink)。 - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) WiCyS 拥有强大的全球覆盖能力,在 114 个国家拥有近 12,000 名会员,并设有 70 个专业分支机构与 350 个学生分会。 - [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) WiCyS 与 Aluria Research 的研究揭示,女性在从业 6 至 10 年普遍遭遇玻璃天花板,且更频繁遭遇来自直属主管的排斥体验。 - [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) WiCyS 与 Skillrex 的技能实测表明,WiCyS 会员在职业各阶段的硬技能表现均显著超越非会员(即“WiCyS 优势”)。 - [06:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=387s) Will Markow 指出网络安全技能更新极快,过去两年有约 25% 的核心技能需求被置换,主要由 AI 驱动。 - [06:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=387s) 采用“以技能为本且对人才友好”实践的企业,在单个网络安全员工生命周期内可节省高达 $127,000 美元成本。 - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) 推行技能化管理的企业若依然依赖直属主管的主观评估,容易陷入“垃圾进,垃圾出”的主观偏见陷阱。 - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) 中小企业无需自建体系,直接与 WiCyS 等第三方行业协会合作利用现成导师计划,也可获得同等经济回报与人才韧性。 - [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) 通过为员工提供“挑战性任务”(Stretch Assignments),企业可以零成本打造更具弹性的内部人才库。 - [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) 网络安全人才失衡与留存危机直接关系到企业生存,必须被提升至“网络安全风险管理”的战略高度。 - [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) 未来的安全领袖应采取“人本主义”防御方法,在硬核攻防外重视伦理判断力与关系型领导力等核心软实力。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=4s) 重新定义网络安全人才:WiCyS 与网络安全生态的使命 演讲在热烈的气氛中开场。网络安全女性组织(WiCyS,全称 Women in CyberSecurity)执行董事 Lynn Dohm 介绍了自己,并引出了本次联合演讲的合作伙伴——FourOne Insights 的创始人兼 CEO Will Markow。Lynn 首先向现场观众深入阐述了 WiCyS 的立足之本:作为一个成立于 2019 年的 501(c)(3) 非营利会员制组织,WiCyS 的英文缩写读作“We-Cis”(谐音 We Sisters,即“我们姐妹”),象征着一个全球性的网络安全姐妹会。其核心使命极为明确——招募、留存并晋升网络安全领域的女性人才。 网络安全最宝贵的资产并非冷冰冰的技术或算法,而是“人”。当下,网络安全劳动力市场正面临两大交汇力量的深刻重塑:一是技术的快速数字化(包括新技术涌现、监管要求扩展以及网络安全与业务核心的深度融合),二是长期的人口结构限制(人口老龄化、出生率下降、移民率降低以及劳动参与率下滑)。这种双重挤压使得人才通道急剧变窄,整个劳动力体系显得结构性脆弱。更严重的是,狭隘的选拔机制容易引发“群体思维”(Groupthink)——当团队缺乏多元观点、思维同质化时,整个防御体系抵御演变威胁的能力就会大幅下降。因此,如何通过留存人才与促进职业成长来维持健康的生态,成为了亟待解决的课题。 - **全球覆盖规模**:WiCyS 目前在 114 个国家拥有近 12,000 名会员。 - **基层网络布局**:在全球拥有 70 个专业分支机构(覆盖非洲、澳大利亚、亚洲、欧洲、美国、加拿大等地),并建立了 350 个学生分会,每天触达数以万计的发展者。 --- ### [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=162s) 用数据揭开留存难题与“WiCyS 优势” 为了不让人才培养变成“边注入边漏水”的无效循环,WiCyS 在 2023 年携手 Aluria Research 展开了深入的年度研究。Aluria 擅长将“排斥体验”进行量化,从而反向评估出真实的“包容度状态”。这项革命性的研究揭示了女性在网络安全行业留存的三大痛点:首先,女性从业者在职业生涯 6 至 10 年左右普遍遭遇“玻璃天花板”;其次,缺乏职业晋升与成长机会构成了极高的壁垒,其严重程度在 Aluria 调查过的所有行业中位居前列;最关键的是,女性在工作中遭遇排斥体验的概率是其他群体的数倍,且这些排斥多直接源于其直属主管(Direct Managers)。 当这些研究成果在 2024 年的 RSAC、BSides 等顶尖安全大会上公之于众时,引发了热烈反响,但也伴随着一些质疑。甚至有业内人士向 Lynn 提出“女性遇到玻璃天花板是不是因为绩效不行”的偏见论调。为了用事实说话,WiCyS 接着与 Skillrex 合作,基于 60 项核心网络安全能力进行了硬技能实测。结果令人震惊:WiCyS 会员在各个阶段的技能表现全面碾压非会员群体,形成了显著的“WiCyS 优势”(WiCyS Edge)。然而,当 Lynn 询问雇主们究竟由谁来决定基于技能的晋升时,答案依然令人无奈——“由直属主管裁量”。这直接催生了 WiCyS 与 FourOne Insights 的合作,试图量化基于技能的晋升机制到底能带来怎样的财务投资回报率(ROI)。 ``` WiCyS 技能实测与非会员绩效超越幅度 +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 早期职业阶段 (Early-Career) [+21% 超越] | +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 中期职业阶段 (Mid-Career) [+14.5% 超越] | +-------------------------------------------------------+ | 资深专业阶段 (Senior Professionals) [+8% 超越] | +-------------------------------------------------------+ ``` --- ### [06:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=387s) AI 时代下的技能演变与百万元级 Talent ROI FourOne Insights 创始人兼 CEO Will Markow 接过话筒,深入剖析了在 AI 重塑劳动力市场的背景下,将“技能”作为基本分析单元的必要性。网络安全领域的技能演变速度达到了前所未有的峰值——数据显示,仅在过去两年中,网络安全专业人员的核心技能需求就有约 25% 发生了彻底置换,其中很大一部分是由人工智能及其相关技术所驱动的。面对这个“移动的靶心”,企业如果继续沿用传统的学历或履历筛选方式,无异于刻舟求求剑。企业必须重新构建更具韧性的技能型人才管道。 Will 团队结合了 WiCyS 的会员调查数据、从业者历史履历以及海量在线招聘岗位数据,最终揭示了一个极具震撼力的结论:采用“以技能为本且对人才友好”(Skills-based and Talent-friendly)实践的企业,其财务回报极其可观。所谓的“对人才友好”,是指企业愿意拆解员工的底层技能并为其提供成长路径。当企业对员工进行投资时,员工也会对企业产生更高的归属感。研究表明,对于一家愿意提供导师制(Mentorship)或个性化职业培训路径的企业来说,在单个网络安全员工的整个雇佣生命周期内,平均可节省高达 $127,000 美元的成本。这种收益来自于招聘周期的缩短、离职率降低带来的替换成本规避,以及员工留存期间更高的生产力。 - **高阶领导力提升**:采用基于技能实践的企业,女性成功晋升至网络安全领导层的比例显著更高。 - **双赢机制**:企业不仅降低了人才获取与留存成本,员工也获得了切实的技术提升与内部晋升通道。 --- ### [11:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=661s) 痛点与破解之道:从主观偏见到第三方赋能 尽管基于技能的人力资源实践收益巨大,但目前的行业现状却是“推广极不均衡”。研究发现,那些投资回报率最高、最有价值的人力资源实践,反而是在企业中应用最少的。许多企业缺乏一套行之有效的行动指南(Playbook)。更严重的问题在于落地过程中的“畸形变样”:不少声称推行技能化管理的公司,依然极度依赖直属主管的主观评估。Will 打趣道,每个人在职业生涯中大概率都遇到过“因为某种莫名其妙的原因觉得你不行”的领导。这种依赖主观偏见输入的数据系统,本质上就是“垃圾进,垃圾出”(Garbage in, garbage out)。 对于缺乏资源建立复杂内部培训体系的中小型企业(SMBs),Will 给出了极具操作性的解法:借助第三方合作。研究表明,企业与 WiCyS 等第三方行业协会合作,直接利用其现成的导师计划或专项技能培训,能够获得与内部自建体系完全相同的经济回报和人才韧性。此外,针对很多管理者抱怨“没时间、没预算”的现状,Will 强调许多高 ROI 的举措并不需要复杂的审批。例如,为员工提供“跨界/挑战性任务”(Stretch Assignments),不仅能打破日常工作的单调感,还能帮助员工建立新的技能并提高组织内部可见度,是零成本打造灵活人才库的绝佳起点。 - **决策矩阵工具**:研究报告中提供了“人才实践优先级矩阵”(Talent Practice Prioritization Matrix),帮助 HR 根据“实施难度”与“期望 ROI”快速定位突破口。 - **定制化痛点匹配**:针对“招人难”、“留人难”或“技能再培训”等不同核心诉求,框架提供了具体的实践组合建议。 --- ### [16:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=990s) 人本主义防御:将人才战略上升为安全风险管理 在演讲的尾声,Lynn Dohm 重申了网络安全人才危机的严峻性。当前劳动力市场正处于剧烈动荡期:初级岗位面临人才过剩与 AI 自动化的替代冲击,而中资深岗位却陷入了严重的技能短缺。这种结构性失衡绝不仅仅是“HR 部门的难题”,而是直接关系到企业生死存亡的“网络安全风险”。如果领导者不能以未来 3 到 5 年的战略眼光来看待人才留存,任何技术上的防御投入都可能因为人员的流失或失职而溃不成军。 当今最有效的安全领袖,正在将注意力转向“人本主义”方法——不仅关注硬核的技术攻防,更强调“软实力/核心能力”(Power Skills),如伦理判断力(Ethical Judgment)与关系型领导力(Relational Leadership)。Lynn 呼吁现场及线上的管理者积极践行研究成果,通过 WiCyS 官网下载完整研究报告,或与 FourOne Insights(其首席科学家 Will Markow 长期致力于 cyberseek 等行业人才数据分析)建立联系,共同打造一个可持续、高韧性的网络安全人才生态。 ### [18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) 现场提问与致谢总结 在演讲接近尾声时,讲者向台下听众询问是否有人提出问题,并打趣地提到时间只剩下一分钟:"Is there any questions? We have one minute." 见现场听众没有立即提问,讲者开玩笑地表示他们已经在演讲过程中回答了大家心中的所有疑问:"No question. We answered all your questions." 整个互动过程气氛轻松融洽。 随后,讲者向所有在场参与和聆听的嘉宾与朋友们表达了真挚的感谢:"All right my friends. Well thank you so much for joining us here today." 并在温馨友好的氛围中祝愿大家度过愉快的一天,正式结束了本次精彩的分享与研讨。 - 现场互动时间仅剩最后 1 分钟 - 讲者向全体参会人员致以谢意,会议顺利圆满结束 ## Notable quotes > [18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) Is there any questions? We have one minute. — 讲者 > [18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) No question. We answered all your questions. — 讲者 > [18:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M&t=1095s) All right my friends. Well thank you so much for joining us here today. — 讲者 ## Mentioned Lynn Dohm, Will Markow, Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), FourOne Insights, Aluria Research, Skillrex, Ai4, RSAC, BSides, CyberSeek ## Video description Lynn Dohm - Executive Director, Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Will Markow - Founder and CEO, FourOne Insights While AI redefines the digital landscape, human talent remains the core of cyber resilience. This session explores a human-centric approach, leveraging research from WiCyS and FourOne Insights to transform cybersecurity into a mission-driven ecosystem. Discover how high-impact practices—like skills-based planning and personalized learning—can return over $125,000 per employee while improving retention. Using internal data with external analytics, organizations gain a 360-degree view to bridge skill gaps, quantify ROI, and build a durable, talent-first pipeline for the future. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyEUe7ri_M)

Source quotes

[18:15] 讲者: Is there any questions? We have one minute. [18:15] 讲者: No question. We answered all your questions. [18:15] 讲者: All right my friends. Well thank you so much for joining us here today.

Source quotes

[0:04] Lynn Dohm: global cyber sisterhood [2:42] Lynn Dohm: it must be a performance issue [2:42] Lynn Dohm: WiCyS Edge [6:21] Will Markow: skills-based and talent friendly [11:01] Will Markow: garbage in, garbage out scenario [16:30] Lynn Dohm: HR problem [16:30] Lynn Dohm: power skills [18:15] Lynn Dohm: answered all your questions

Original transcript

[0:04] Hello. Hello. Thank you everyone for joining  us here today. My name is Lynn Dome and I'm [0:09] woman and cyber security executive director and  I'm joined here today with Will Marco who is our [0:14] partner researcher with 41 insights. Before we get  started, I wanted to dig in a little bit deeper [0:21] and let you all know who we are, what we do,  and why we do it differently. So, Women in Cyber [0:27] Security is a 501c3 member-based nonprofit. We  often go by our acronym WIC CYS, and we pronounce [0:35] it we cis like we sisters because that's exactly  what we are. We are a global cyber sisterhood. Our [0:41] mission is to recruit, retain, and advance women  in cyber security. And we have close to 12,000 [0:46] members in 114 countries. In addition to that, we  have 70 professional affiliates. So they're boots [0:53] on the ground all around the world throughout  Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, US, Canada, [1:00] you name it. Whisus has representation there. And  then on top of that, we have 350 student chapters. [1:06] So each and every day we're reaching hundreds  and thousands of individuals as we're creating [1:12] opportunities for folks to not only get into cyber  security but really most critically importantly [1:19] stay and have career growth and advancement  opportunities extend from it. So our investment [1:26] is one of the uh the most valuable asset in cyber  security and that's investing in its people which [1:33] is really important because the cyber security  workforce is being reshaped right now by two [1:38] converging forces. One is rapid digitization  and the other one is long-term demographic [1:43] constraints. And with rapid digitization, we're  talking about new te technologies, expanding [1:48] regulatory requirements, deeper integration of  cyber into other business elements, while all [1:55] at the same time that we have these long-term  demographic constraints of an aging population, [2:00] a lower birth rates, lower immigration rates,  and in addition to that, a falling labor force [2:05] participation. So what that is doing is it's  narrowing the pathways and really making the [2:11] workforce very structurally fragile. And when we  have uh narrow pathways and group think mindsets [2:18] that set in which is when teams have no diverse  opinions to make anyone think otherwise while [2:24] you have teams that have all the same mindsets.  What it does is also it it reduces our abilities [2:32] to outsmart evolving threats. So it's really  important that we always have this perpetual cycle [2:38] of looking at what is retention, what is career  growth and advancement and what are we doing about [2:42] it. So in 2023, we realized being a nonprofit that  started in 2019 and 2023, if we really wanted to [2:50] make an impact on the workforce, we have to better  understand the workforce. And in order to do that, [2:56] we had to better understand retention.  We could build the pipeline all we want, [2:59] but if we can't retain talent in cyber security,  then we're only perpetuating the problem. So we [3:05] decided to partner with Ayria research in 2023  all throughout the entire year. And Ayria is [3:10] unique because they quantify experiences of  exclusion to identify the state of inclusion. [3:16] And we were able to finally have data on retention  in the workforce. It was revolutionary. And for [3:21] the sake of today's conversation, we have three  key takeaways that came from that research. One, [3:26] we found that women in cyber security have a  glass ceiling at around 6 to 10 years within [3:31] their career. If you're a woman in cyber security  in this room, you'll probably realize, oh yeah, [3:35] that makes sense. Another one is the lack of  career growth and advancement opportunities was [3:40] a really high barrier for women in cyber security.  It was so high that Alyria research hasn't seen it [3:47] this high in any of the industries that they've  been investing their research in. So it was [3:52] something that we had to really take a mental note  on. And the third thing is is that women in cyber [3:57] were five times more likely to have experiences of  exclusion extend from their direct managers. And [4:02] that is something that I would like to underscore  there and it's we're going to reflect back on to [4:07] that when we get to Will's portion um of today's  presentation. So all throughout 2024 we were very [4:14] excited to share this information. We shared the  data and the knowledge at black at at RSAC at [4:20] bides at many different conferences and venues  all throughout 2024. People were downloading [4:25] reports. We're doing media interviews. It  was super fun. And then one time after one [4:29] presentation I was approached by an individual  that said well women in cyber security are at [4:34] a glass ceiling it must be a performance issue.  So that led us to partner with skillrex. Skillrex [4:41] does a hard skills assessment with 60 core cyber  security competencies and we discovered that weis [4:48] members compared to non whis members gender not  included is that we were out there killing it. [4:55] We were outperforming non-weesis members by 21%  in early career, 14.5% in midcareer and 8% in [5:04] senior professionals. So that is what we call the  whis edge and we're leading the charge with also [5:12] so many different competencies in AI as well. So  when the conversation in 2025, well late 2024, [5:20] early 2025 started shifting to skills-based  advancement, merit-based advancement. We were [5:27] like right on. Skills are the ultimate equalizer.  And we were already ahead of the game. We already [5:36] had data from a very large member base that we are  outperforming nonwesis members. So there's going [5:43] to be nothing but career growth and advancement  opportunities for us. But at that time when I [5:49] would work with employers and speak to partners,  I would ask them, well, who's making the decision [5:54] on skills-based advancement and merit-based  advancement? And each and every time it came back [6:01] that we leave that to the discretion of the direct  managers. So that led me to meet up with Will and [6:08] his research firm and we had a very distinct asked  and it was what is the return on investment of [6:15] skills-based advancement for mid-career women in  cyber security. And with that I'll pass the mic [6:21] on over to Will for him to take the conversation  from here and share the data that he discovered. [6:27] Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Lynn, for  introducing the research and providing some [6:32] great context for why it was so important for us  to really unpack what organizations could be doing [6:38] to implement skills hiring to help address some  of the structural fragility issues in the cyber [6:43] security talent pipeline that Lynn just mentioned.  And you know before I dive into the research I do [6:48] also want to just give a little bit of context  for why it is so important for us to be tracking [6:53] skills across the cyber security workforce  and why that really is the most valuable unit [6:59] of analysis if we're trying to figure out how the  workforce is being disrupted and what we can do to [7:04] actually manage our cyber security workforce more  effectively especially in the age of AI because as [7:10] I'm sure everybody here knows things are changing  at a pace that we have never witnessed before. We [7:16] see it in the data that we're tracking across the  workforce that skills are evolving both in cyber [7:21] security as well as other fields more rapidly than  they ever have in the past. And in just the past [7:27] 2 years in cyber security for example, we estimate  that about a quarter of the key skill requirements [7:32] have shifted for cyber security professionals.  Much of that skill evolution is being driven by [7:37] artificial intelligence and AI related skills.  And so organizations and individuals are really [7:42] facing a moving target when it comes to remaining  competent within the field. And that's on top of [7:48] all of the other structural issues that Lynn  just mentioned around rapid digitization and [7:53] around demographic constraints. And so this means  that organizations have to figure out how do we [7:57] constantly upscale our workforce and how do we  implement talent practices that help us build a [8:03] more resilient talent pipeline both today and in  the future. that's both good for our individuals [8:09] and good for our business bottom lines. And  so that was really the goal with the research [8:13] that we did with Whisus was to try to figure out  what are some of the best practices that leverage [8:19] skills-based hiring or other practices that  are both good for individual workers but also [8:26] good for companies and helps them save money  by retaining people, attracting people more [8:31] rapidly and otherwise building a more resilient  and adaptive cyber security talent pipeline. And [8:37] so we were thrilled to partner with Whisus on this  research. We surveyed their members. We combined [8:42] it with data that we have on worker histories and  online job posting data to track what's actually [8:48] happening across different organizations and  their workforce outcomes in cyber security. And [8:53] what we found was that consistently the most  valuable talent practices that organizations [8:59] could be adopting were consistently skills-based  and talent friendly. What we mean by that is that [9:06] they were focused on unpacking the underlying  skills that their people had. They were focused [9:12] on helping people develop new skills in response  to rapid evolution within the field. And they [9:19] were talent friendly because they were actually  helping people grow. And when an organization [9:24] helps their people grow and invests in their  people, their people become more invested in [9:29] their company. And we certainly saw that across  the cyber security workforce. In fact, we found [9:33] that for the average cyber security worker who  worked for a company that for example offered [9:39] mentorships or that was investing in personalized  career and training pathways for individuals, [9:47] the average savings across the lifetime employment  of that individual could be over $127,000 [9:56] per worker. And that's because companies were able  to save money in recruiting costs by filling jobs [10:01] faster. They were able to avoid costs by keeping  people longer and people were more productive [10:06] while they were with the organization. And  so there are many benefits to investing in [10:11] some of these practices if you're an employer of  these cyber security workers. And the great thing [10:16] is these practices, they weren't just good for  companies and their bottom lines. They're also [10:21] great for workers and women in particular within  cyber security. We found that organizations that [10:28] were adopting some of these skills-based talent  friendly practices were far more likely to have [10:34] women who had metriculated up into cyber  security leadership because they had more [10:38] diverse pipelines. They were investing in people.  They were helping to keep some of their high [10:42] performers regardless of gender and people were  more likely to stick around. And so these really [10:47] were win-win practices both for organizations  and for the individuals who were learning more [10:54] skills and being given more opportunities to grow  within the context of their existing organization. [11:01] Problem however was that although we found that  these or uh practices were very valuable for [11:07] companies adoption was very uneven. In fact,  the highest value talent practices that we saw [11:13] across the cyber security workforce were actually  among the least utilized. And so there's still [11:19] a long way to go for many organizations who are  trying to improve the resilience of their cyber [11:25] security talent pipelines, but don't really  have a playbook telling them what are those [11:30] practices that you should be implementing. and  many of the companies are not implementing the [11:35] highest value practices that they could be  to help build the resilience of their talent [11:40] pipeline. We also found that even when companies  were implementing some of these skills-based [11:44] practices, they often were not doing so in an  optimal manner. In fact, many organizations, [11:50] as Lynn mentioned, if they were utilizing skills  data to help understand their workforce and grow [11:55] their workforce and train their workforce, they're  still relying on managerial assessments, which are [12:01] inherently subjective. Everybody has had a manager  at one point who didn't really think that you're [12:06] as good as you think you are personally for one  reason or another. And when we're basing all of [12:11] our internal learning and development efforts off  of subjective data, then it's a garbage in garbage [12:18] out scenario. And so there's clearly a long way  to go for many organizations who are trying to [12:24] implement these practices but are not relying upon  objective data to actually gauge the skills of [12:30] their cyber security teams. So there is some good  news, however, because we know many organizations, [12:37] especially small and medium-sized companies,  they're not going to have the resources necessary [12:41] to really implement some of these practices at  scale. And that's where third party partnerships [12:46] can be incredibly valuable. We found that  companies that partner with third parties [12:51] such as Whisus or other thirdparty associations or  organizations that might offer mentorship programs [12:58] or other training programs, companies were still  able to reap many of the same benefits as building [13:05] those programs inhouse. So we saw that there was  a lot of value to companies in partnering with [13:11] organizations such as Whisus so that they could  still reap the benefits of some of these talent [13:16] practices that are difficult to adopt if you are  not a large enough employer or if you just don't [13:21] have the muscle memory around doing that. The  other thing we wanted to do with this research [13:26] was actually give practical advice to companies  who are trying to adopt these practices and trying [13:30] to figure out what are the most valuable talent  practices that you could be in uh incorporating [13:35] into your talent management strategy. And  so we did this through a couple of means. [13:39] First thing we did was we created this talent  practice prioritization matrix which helps you [13:45] evaluate both the potential value of adopting  a particular talent practice as well as how [13:53] commonly that practice is being utilized at other  organizations. And so, for example, if you see [13:58] that most companies are not offering mentorships,  but on average you get a high return on your [14:02] investment for building a mentorship program, then  that's probably where you want to start because [14:07] those are the types of programs that can really  differentiate your employer value proposition, [14:13] make it more likely that you attract and retain  good talent, and ultimately helps your bottom [14:18] line and your broader business goals in the long  run. Of course, many companies don't really have [14:25] much muscle memory around integrating these types  of talent practices or taking more of an adaptive [14:30] approach to their talent management strategy.  And so, we also built out some new frameworks [14:35] that we put in this research that organizations  can leverage in order to build a more adaptive [14:41] approach to their talent strategy, whether it's in  cyber security or any other field for that matter. [14:47] We also have some tools that help you identify uh  what specific practices are most likely to help [14:53] with different goals that you might have. So if  you have a retention issue, you might want to use [14:58] different practices than if you have a talent  attraction issue or if you have a reskilling [15:01] issue. And so we have a number of different  frameworks and tools and information in this [15:06] report that you can leverage to help support those  efforts. So, the last thing that I'll mention here [15:12] as well is that if you're an employer, this can  sound a little daunting. Maybe you don't have time [15:18] to put a mentorship program in place. Maybe you've  never even heard of skills-based hiring. But the [15:23] good news is we identified a lot of practices that  really don't need a lot of ramp up time and don't [15:29] really need a lot of internal buyin or investment.  There are different phases of adoption for many [15:35] of these practices and some of them can be high  ROI without a whole lot of effort. For example, [15:40] if you just offer stretch assignments to your  people, that gives them an opportunity to grow. [15:45] It helps to break the monotony of what they're  doing on a day-to-day basis. And it helps them [15:50] build new skills and more visibility within  the organization, which is good for them. [15:54] also good for you because you're investing  in building a more flexible, adaptable, [16:01] and better skilled workforce. So, if I leave you  with one thing today, I'd say wherever you are [16:06] in your talent management journey, if you are an  employer, just take a step. Figure out what you [16:12] can do to help grow your people and figure out  how you can continuously support them to build [16:18] a more adaptive workforce in the long run that  will build a more resilient talent pipeline and [16:24] ultimately help you in your business goals at the  end of the day. So, I will pass it back to Lynn [16:30] to help bring us home. All right. Great. Thanks,  Will. So, right now the workforce is under this [16:36] major disruption. We know that there's a surplus  of talent for cyber security and early career. We [16:42] also know that there's AI disruption in these more  junior roles and other roles. And there's a lack [16:47] of skills that's happening in cyber security in  the mid-career and senior position individuals. So [16:52] when you're looking at building up your workforce  and having that very human- centric approach that [16:57] it's not just an HR problem, there are security  risks to not be continuously thinking about it [17:03] and working on your goals and your efforts for the  next three years, for the next 5 years and beyond. [17:09] So effective leaders right now we're very  fortunate as an organization to be working with [17:14] them that are really focusing on also really um  power skills as they're bringing forward ethical [17:20] judgment and relational leadership and they're  moving these efforts forward looking at their [17:25] workforce for the long term to see how they can  support them really harness the powers of all the [17:30] research and what the data is showing on how to  keep your workforce and not lose money with all [17:36] the disruption and change that's happening  right Now, so for those of you that want to [17:41] learn more about all the research, you could  download all our reports on the WHIS website, [17:46] you could contact Will and um reach out to him  about 41 insights research. Will is the chief [17:52] scientist behind the light cast data, behind  cyersek, behind all that good stuff. And he's [17:57] been in the industry for very long time studying  these workforce initiatives. You could become a [18:03] WHIS member and you could partner with us as well.  So whatever areas that you want to engage with our [18:09] organization or the research or learn more just  please feel free to reach out and stay connected. [18:15] Is there any questions? We have one minute.  No question. We answered all your questions. [18:22] All right my friends. Well thank you so much  for joining us here today. Have a great day.