(Joan Goodchild, CSO) Rapid adoption of mobile technology, social media and cloud computing in the workplace is creating a security problem for IT departments worldwide as they struggle to keep pace with demands, according to a survey released this week by security certification firm (ISC)².

The 2011 (ISC)² Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) finds an increasing pressure to provide even more services to organizations to protect not just the organization's systems and data, but also its reputation, its end-users, and its customers. But the professionals charged with doing this are not prepared, according to the study's authors, who note the results reveal a clear gap in skills needed to protect organizations in the near future.

"The information security profession could be on a dangerous course, where information security professionals are engulfed in their current job duties and responsibilities, leaving them ill-prepared for the major changes ahead, and potentially endangering the organizations they secure," a summary of the findings states.