Automate Cyber Security to Help Manage the Staff Shortage

Automating your cyber security is one key way organisations can deal with the worsening scarcity of skilled cyber security staff in Australia. 

ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2025 report shows that cyber security teams in Australia remain stretched thin.  More than half (54%) say they are understaffed. Even more (58%) say they have unfilled positions.  

Hiring headache 

Australian organisations say there is a continuing high demand for technical cyber security professionals, but that they struggle to hire and retain them. Around a third (36%) say it takes three to six months to hire for even entry-level roles, and the challenge worsens (48%) for non-entry-level roles. 

The problem is more acute in Australia than on average globally (39%).  

Under-funded, and under threat 

Australian organisations’ hiring challenges are exacerbated by lack of staff funding.   

Almost half of respondents to ISACA’s survey said they had received insufficient funding to address cyber security issues, and only 24% predicted they would receive any budget increase in the year ahead.   

Again, this compared unfavourably to the 41% of cyber security professionals globally who expected their organisation’s cyber security budgets to increase.

Skill profile changing 

The qualifications being sought by employers are also evolving … though perhaps not in the way you might expect.  “Organisational Fit” is now the most highly sought after attribute (66%), followed by usual factors such as “Prior Cybersecurity Experience” (62%).  

Also highly-valued are “Adaptability” (57%), “Communication” (60%), “Critical Thinking” (55%) and “Problem Solving” (44%). 

Worse to Come? 

41% of the Australian organisations who responded to ISACA’s survey said their organisation had experienced more attacks than a year ago.  While half believe an attack on their organisation is likely or very likely in the year ahead, only 35% feel confident in their team’s incident response capabilities.  

ISACA’s Oceania Ambassador, Jo Stewart-Rattray, said Australia couldn’t “hire its way out of a skill gap this deep”.  

“Fewer organisations are training non-security staff into cyber roles, even though most organisations acknowledge they are under-staffed (and) this approach is unsustainable,” she said. 

Automating to Augment  

Organisations struggling to recruit cyber security specialists should consider how automation can augment and relieve the load being carried by their existing cyber security specialists. 

Advanced Managed File Transfer solutions, such as GoAnywhere MFT, can centrally manage and secure file transfers organisation-wide.  Recognised for its class-leading features, GoAnywhere frees up your cyber security specialists, working in the background to comprehensively mitigate the risks of storing and moving your data, both within and outside your organisation.  

Through its centralised control, encryption, and auditing capabilities, GoAnywhere replaces risky traditional approaches and improves productivity. Its versatility, security, ease of use, and budget-friendliness have made it a must-have solution for organisations committed to protecting their information assets. 

Expert Local Advice On Hand 

At Generic Systems Australia, we’re Australia’s and New Zealand’s experts on Managed File Transfer solutions.  

If you’d like a no-cost, no-obligation discussion about how we could help you augment your cyber security team’s efforts, please feel welcome to get in touch.