CISO Shortage May Reflect Unrealistic Job Expectations
TechTarget, Wednesday, May 6th, 2026
Report claims global CISO shortage, but interviews reveal hiring varies widely and job expansion may be the real issue.
A 2026 Cybersecurity Ventures and Sophos report estimates only 35,000 CISOs worldwide serving 359 million businesses, suggesting a significant global cybersecurity leadership gap. However, interviews with CIOs and analysts reveal a more nuanced reality, with some organizations reporting no difficulty hiring qualified security leaders.
Experts attribute the perceived shortage partly to role expansion - modern CISOs now handle security, compliance, board reporting, and AI risk - creating unrealistic job expectations and contributing to burnout. Organizations are addressing the challenge through hybrid models combining internal CISO leadership with managed security service providers and virtual CISOs, though internal accountability remains essential for effective security governance.