Cary, NC, Oct. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — INE Security, a global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications, today released key findings from its new benchmark report, “Wired Together: The Case for Cross-Training in Networking and Cybersecurity.” The comprehensive report documents a pervasive skills crisis where the breakdown of traditional network perimeters is creating costly operational friction and increasing breach expenses across global enterprises.
The study, based on a survey of nearly 1,000 professionals, confirms that the security and networking domains are now inextricably linked, with 75% of respondents viewing them as either “completely integrated” or “highly interconnected.” However, the vast majority of organizations have yet to train their teams to operate within this new reality, leading to high-stakes consequences.
“The skills crisis isn’t just a talking point, it’s a dangerous reality,” said Lindsey Rinehart, CEO of INE. “Awareness of best practices is high, but the ability to implement them is low. For a company to say they believe in network segmentation is one thing; to have the trained professionals to actually do it is another. That’s the gap we’re seeing, and it’s costing organizations dearly.”
The Cost of Disconnected Teams
The report directly links organizational complexity and siloed teams to significant financial risk:
- Financial Impact: Organizations with complex, non-integrated security and IT environments face breach costs averaging $1.2 million higher than those with streamlined operations (IBM, 2023).
- Preparedness Gap: Only 33% of professionals feel “very well” or “extremely well” prepared to handle the intersection of networking and security.
- Operational Friction: The knowledge gap leads to persistent operational friction, with nearly one in five professionals (18%) identifying knowledge gaps as their primary challenge. This results in costly “implement-break-fix” cycles.
“We are in a race where threats are evolving faster than defensive capabilities,” added Tracy Wallace, Director of Content Development at INE. “Our research shows that organizations are still using outdated perimeter-based security models, even as their infrastructure moves to the cloud. The data is clear: if you are not investing in continuous, structured training, your defenses are already outdated.”
Cross-Training: The Strategic Solution
The report emphasizes that addressing this crisis requires breaking down structural silos through strategic cross-training, which transforms how teams interact across critical overlap areas like Network Monitoring, Firewalls, and Access Control.
INE Security’s recommendations focus on treating cross-training as a foundational infrastructure investment to achieve:
- Enhanced Resilience: Cross-trained teams report 40% better incident response times and 35% fewer security breaches compared to those with siloed approaches.
- Operational Excellence: Implementing a common language between teams reduces costly interdepartmental handoffs and minimizes downtime (averaging $5,600 per minute).
- Talent Retention: Providing professionals with broader, dual-domain skill sets increases job satisfaction and autonomy, directly improving talent retention.
The “Wired Together” report outlines a four-step implementation plan for organizations to conduct skills assessments, deploy varied training methodologies, measure impact, and ultimately, build an integrated defense force.
“Organizations that invest in developing professionals who can think across networking and security domains are the ones that will win,” Rinehart concluded. “It’s about building a common language between teams and transforming their skills into a strategic business advantage.”
About INE Security
INE Security is the award-winning, premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity training and certification, trusted by Fortune 500 companies and IT professionals around the globe. Leveraging a state-of-the-art hands-on lab platform, advanced technologies, a global video distribution network, and instruction from world-class experts, INE Security sets the standard for high-impact, career-advancing technical education.
- Network Security Trends Survey