Bridging the Cyber Security Skills Gap - Using Tabletop Exercises to Solve the CSSG Crisis.

Recent breaches like the Wanna Cry ransom ware attack in 2017 are evidence of the rapidly evolving cyber security threat landscape. They demonstrate the ability of cybercriminals to take down individuals and businesses efficiently. This is an indication that few companies can sustain these challenges due to a shortage of professionals with essential specialist cyber security skills. It puts into perspective the urgent need to train and nurture new graduates who possess the minimum qualifications and aptitudes required in the cyber security profession. This study investigates the current cyber security skills gap (CSSG). It observes that cyber security skills are high in demand, yet short in supply, with employers facing problems attracting skilled personnel to fill the ever-growing cyber security roles within their businesses. The study noted that while there are some attempts to address the CSSG through education and training, some recruiting managers held that many cyber security graduates lacked essential business sustaining skills. It observed that graduates focused more on technical skills like hacking while ignoring critical, practical, hands-on abilities. The study identified 5 features of the CSSG and argued that they can be addressed through a serious games (SGs) training approach. This method makes use of SG elements like tabletop exercises (TTXs) which nurture and enhance practical hands-on skills. TTXs enhance the development of skills like problem-solving, communication, teamwork and business processes understanding thereby enabling cyber security incident teams (CSIRTs) to conduct their daily activities unperturbed.