The cost of a bad hire in cybersecurity isn’t just about money, it’s about risk, downtime, lost productivity, and missed opportunities. When the wrong candidate is hired, the average organization can lose over $35,000 before they even restart the hiring process. And that’s assuming they can even find someone else. Right now, it takes three to six months to fill many cybersecurity roles, and with over 457,000 open positions across the U.S., the pressure to hire fast is leading to costly mistakes.
This is more than a hiring issue; it’s an ongoing workforce development challenge.
Why the Traditional Hiring Pipeline Isn’t Working
For years, cybersecurity hiring has leaned heavily on academic credentials and years of experience. But that approach has become unsustainable. According to recent workforce data, nearly one in four hiring managers report making a bad cybersecurity hire each year. And the top two challenges? Competitive salaries and a lack of qualified candidates. Combined, these hurdles are forcing organizations to rethink how they build their teams.
The good news is a shift is already underway.
Organizations are beginning to look beyond traditional résumés and instead focus on potential, practical skills, and verifiable certifications. This shift is long overdue and absolutely necessary. Technical capability and trusted certifications that validate real-world skills are now outpacing degrees as the top hiring criteria, signaling a broader industry recognition: it’s not about where someone started, it’s about what they can do on day one.
Nontraditional Paths, Proven Results
That’s where the SANS Cyber Academy comes in.
SANS launched its Cyber Academy program in 2015 to tackle the talent gap head-on. The idea was simple: identify high-potential individuals from nontraditional backgrounds, give them world-class, hands-on cybersecurity training, validate their skills through GIAC certifications, and help them launch careers in cybersecurity.
The results have exceeded expectations.
- 6,275+ graduates trained since 2015
- 87% job placement within one year of graduation
- 91% GIAC certification success rate
- $85,000–$90,000 average starting salaries
These aren’t theoretical numbers. These are real people, landing real jobs, and making a real impact on day one.
A Better Way to Build the Cybersecurity Workforce
It’s not just about filling jobs. It’s about building capability and resilience into your team from the start. The SANS Cyber Academy provides participants with job-ready skills through hands-on training aligned with today’s security needs across cyber defense, incident handling, and more. Graduates are walking into roles at major companies, government agencies, and critical infrastructure organizations across the country, and they’re contributing immediately.
That’s because SANS doesn’t just teach or lecture; it enables learners with job-relevant skills from leading practitioners and then validates them.
GIAC Certification is a core part of the Cyber Academy model, not just to meet compliance, but to build confidence. For many employers, it’s now a must-have. While external requirements account for 65% of certification needs, internal validation is just as critical: 58% of organizations now use certifications as part of their hiring and promotion decisions. In today’s market, certifications don’t just check a box, they signal readiness, reliability, and ROI.
A Scalable Solution to an Urgent Problem
The SANS Cyber Academy is growing to meet demand, and it’s doing so through powerful public-private partnerships. Programs like the Cyber Workforce Academy - Maryland, Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Security Training Scholarship, and Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst training programs have taken the core SANS Academy model and extended its reach to thousands more aspiring cyber professionals:
- Maryland Cyber Workforce Academy: 310+ scholarships awarded, 89% job placement, $45K average salary increase for graduates
- WiCyS: 92% career placement for graduates within 12 months
- Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst: 1,209+ students trained, 87% GIAC certification success
These programs are backed by leading employers and government stakeholders because they deliver tangible results quickly, enhancing career growth, economic development, and national security..
Strengthening the Industry, One Hire at a Time
With 99 Fortune 100 companies using SANS training, and nearly 50,000 cybersecurity professionals trained annually, SANS has long been the gold standard for workforce development. The Cyber Academy model simply builds on that foundation and makes it more accessible, more scalable, and more aligned with real-world hiring challenges.
This isn’t just about solving a talent shortage. It’s about creating opportunity, mitigating hiring risk, and delivering a workforce that’s ready for what’s next.
The cybersecurity industry doesn’t need more resumes. It needs more readiness.
The SANS Cyber Academy offers a clear, proven path to finding and developing the talent your team needs, without waiting six months or rolling the dice on a risky hire. Because when cybersecurity is at stake, you can't afford to get it wrong.
Ready to build a stronger cybersecurity workforce? Discover how the SANS Cyber Academy is transforming high potential into proven talent, one graduate at a time. Explore the SANS mission today.
