Week 3 of Cybersecurity Awareness Month follows the theme “Explore. Experience. Share.” to commemorate Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week. With cyberthreats looming large and cybercrime predicted to cost the world US$6 trillion by 2021, it’s no wonder that cybersecurity professionals are in high demand.
The skills gap in this field has been an issue for years, and the shortage of experts made salaries skyrocket. As a result, this initiative from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) looks to promote awareness & exploration of cybersecurity careers.
Building a cybersecurity workforce to enhance security
Cybersecurity careers are a growing segment of the nation’s workforce needs, and a great opportunity for both students choosing their future career and adults who are looking for a new career field.
According to NIST, there are over 450,000 job vacancies nationally and the global cybersecurity workforce is expected to experience a shortfall of 1.8 million cybersecurity professionals by 2022. The Department of Labor predicts that IT and cybersecurity will be among the fastest growing and best paying jobs over the next decade.
Despite the economic challenges presented by covid19, for the first time ever the annual Cybersecurity Workforce Study from the ICS2 found a decrease in the talent gap—from 4 million to 3.1 million. It’s worth noting that while actual security incidents have stayed at baseline levels, and despite the narrowed workforce gap, more than half of respondents (56%) said that cybersecurity staff shortages are putting their organizations at risk.
The study also found that the average salary in North America for cybersecurity-related jobs is about US$112,000 a year. It’s the lowest in LATAM ($27,000), with APAC ($56,000) and Europe ($74,000) falling in between. Those holding security certifications have an average salary of $85,000 while those without earn about $67,000, on average.
Cybersecurity professionals play a vital role in global society and security, especially after the covid19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation. Recent attacks on supply chains, like Kaseya, SolarWinds, and Colonial Pipeline, are serving as a wake-up call on the need to invest in defensive measures to secure systems and data.
Why to pursue a cybersecurity career
There are multiple career options and numerous pathways to enter the cybersecurity career field. Apart from the fact that businesses and governments around the world are looking to increase their security, there are several reasons to pursue a cybersecurity career:
- A robust cybersecurity workforce enhances each nation’s security and promotes economic prosperity
- The future is digital in the private and public sector. There are opportunities in nearly every industry, as everything is connected nowadays and every organization needs protection
- Skills are needed from a diverse range of backgrounds and technical levels; cybersecurity is a dynamic field that evolves quickly and encourages the workforce to always be learning and developing new skills
- Since the talent gap is so large, companies are offering competitive salaries to entice their prospective candidates
- Job satisfaction is over 70% among cybersecurity professionals in North America, who take pride in the fact that they are defending organizations against cybercrime, as well as helping them find solutions to technical problems
- Although an increasing number of universities and colleges offer degrees, they are not required and many specialists are self-taught
Career awareness is an important piece in solving the cyber workforce shortage. Initiatives to help meet the need include CYBER.ORG, which offers free cybersecurity career awareness resources to K-12 students and educators. Or the Cybersecurity Workforce Training Guide from CISA that helps professionals develop a training plan based on their current skill level and desired career opportunities.
If you are a part of the cybersecurity workforce or are looking to join, there’s a plethora of resources and real-life challenges to stay current and advance your career. The world needs more cybersecurity experts!
Ransomware: A Growing Threat
Staying ahead of cyberthreats is one of the top priorities of a cybersecurity professional like you. Get the latest research on ransomware to help your organization avoid future incidents.
You will learn: which vulnerabilities are closely tied with ransomware campaigns, how to prevent them, and how to reduce overall risk.
