The cybersecurity profession is suffering from a peculiarly positive perception problem: People outside the industry view the job with such high regard that it seems beyond their reach as a viable career option for themselves.

The newly released 2020 (ISC)² Cybersecurity Perception Study , which polled 2,500 people across the U.S. and the U.K. who are not working in the cybersecurity field, found that the traditional image of cybersecurity professionals as mysterious characters working in the shadows has been replaced by one of smart, talented people and the “good guys fighting cybercrime.” It’s a welcome change for those in the industry who work every day to protect organizational data and keep us safe.

The reason for the reticence in joining the field revolves around perceived barriers of entry. Respondents believe the technical skills needed are beyond their reach and require further education.

Not for Me

A solid majority of study participants (71%) say they view cybersecurity professionals as smart, technically skilled individuals. Other characterizations by respondents include “good guys fighting cybercrime” (51%), people who “keep up us safe, like police and firefighters” (35%), and “heroes” (9%).

The overriding attitude of study respondents toward cybersecurity jobs can be summed up thus: “It’s a good career, just not for me.” The study shows that 69% of respondents feel that way.

Why not? For 61% of respondents, it’s because they believe they would need more education or to earn a certification before getting a cybersecurity job. Even though 29% of respondents say they are considering a career change, they are not interested in cybersecurity because they believe it would require too much technical knowledge or training (32%), they don’t know how to code (27%) or find the field too intimidating (26%).

Even at a time of record unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the job stability and career path options offered by cybersecurity don’t appear to be enough to spur interest in the profession for the public at large. This creates a significant challenge for the cybersecurity industry in trying to overcome the massive skills gap. Currently there is a global shortage of more than 4 million professionals for cybersecurity positions.

What Shapes Perceptions

The study provides some clues as to what is shaping perceptions in the public at large about cybersecurity professionals. Two primary factors seem to be at play: a lack of educational foundation for cybersecurity careers and media portrayals of cybersecurity workers.

Although two thirds (66%) of study respondents have an associate college degree or higher, 77% say cybersecurity was never offered as a part of their available curriculum.

Most respondents (68%) say their perception of the field is shaped by portrayals in TV shows and movies or by news coverage of security incidents. TV dramas tend to portray cybersecurity experts as having highly technical skills that allow them to fix problems quickly. And when a high-profile breach occurs in the real world, experts quoted by the news media come across as having exclusive knowledge that isn’t accessible to everyone else.

While both portrayals have a kernel of realism, the overall effect is far less realistic, creating images that appear to be contributing to why people don’t view cybersecurity as a career choice – even if the overall effect on their perception is positive.