You can't put a price tag on love and friendship, but you can determine the dollars-and-cents cost of not loving your cybersecurity staff. According to data compiled by IBM, in 2022 the average cost of an enterprise data breach in the United States was $9.4 million.

More to the point, damage done by hackers and other digital malefactors is more costly if you don't have a security staff that has been drilled on what to do in the event of a critical cybersecurity failure. IBM found that compromised organizations with a trained and practiced incident response team saved, on average, $2.6 million.

If the worst happens, in other words, businesses that are prepared can pare down the approximate money drain of a major breach by nearly one-third. Money may not buy you love, but a sound investment in corporate cybersecurity can make a huge difference to the overall bottom line.

Securing computers, networks, and information is complicated enough even with proper staffing levels and sound policies in place. The problem can really get out of hand when you factor in competition for personnel in an alarmingly sparse labor market.

Consistent rivalry among eager employers is one reason why there is a steady gap between the demand for trained and talented cybersecurity professionals and the supply of trained and talented cybersecurity professionals. Almost every business or organization wants and needs more effective security.

Certification is one of the ways that some people get trained in cybersecurity. For others, it's a standard that verifies their skills to employers. For many, achieving and maintaining certification is also a great way to stay abreast of changes in the wider cybersecurity sphere. That's one thing we're curious about: How are certification providers doing at keeping up with the times (and technology)?

We also want to get inside the day-to-day world of professional cybersecurity just a bit and get a snapshot of what the men and women on the inside see there each day. That is why the time has come for another CertMag survey: Welcome to our Security Certification Survey.

As we always do, we've added a dash of incentive to participate. If you take the survey all the way to the end, we'll thank you with either (or both!) of two rewards. You can get a free digital copy of the next issue of Certification Magazine. Or get a one-year print subscription at 40 percent off the normal cost. (Hate making decisions? Get 'em both! We don't mind.)

BIG THANKS to everyone who participated in our 2023 Security Certification Survey! Watch for the results to appear the forthcoming 2023 Spring Edition of Certification Magazine.

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