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Information Security Professionals Are Running Scarce

    

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In 2018, there remains a huge gap of 25% between industry demand for trained cyber security professionals and the extant supply.* 68% of organizations report a high demand for cyber security skills**, predicting a shortage of over 2,000,000 cyber security jobs by 2019, and that number will only increase moving forward.***Read the latest statistics here or continue with the original 2014 article below.As the world moves further into the digital age, cybercrime is on the rise. A number of major organizations have found themselves at the center of controversy after failing to adequately protect customer information. As a result, a growing segment of businesses invest more time and effort into procuring proper cybersecurity assets—including the employees that will keep them defended.

As such, the number of available professionals in cybersecurity is dwindling. The demand for these experts is high, meaning that those looking to be employed stand a good chance of being brought aboard a team in need. This demand is heavily reliant, however, on the possession of applicable certifications in network protections.

Greater Stakes Putting Pressure on Companies

There are countless reasons why a business would be targeted by malicious hackers. In addition to the financial data of clients and partners, some enterprises have secrets that can be directly attributed to their success. Should the documents pertaining to this information be exposed, it could have extreme ramifications on longevity. 

One of the tactics being used to remain competitive in hiring is to allow potential staff members to work from home. According to a report from Gallup, 43% of Americans work from home at least occasionally. With mobility becoming such a defining aspect of the modern workplace, those organizations that do not allow telecommuting are beginning to have their offers turned down more frequently.

According to GCN contributor William Jackson, this is making it very hard for the federal government in particular to retain workers. “Government clearly will have to compete for these professionals in areas other than pay,” he wrote. “Flexible working conditions, including the opportunity to be mobile on the job and telework, is one place agencies can improve their hiring and retention... Just about every study on the subject has shown that teleworking improves employee satisfaction.” 

Increased Demand Pushing More into the Field

But while there seems to be a shortage of workers that can keep companies defended, by some accounts this is a trend that will be short-lived. A recent Rand Corporation study found that a growth in the average pay for cybersecurity professionals will be a contributing factor to an expected spike in the those seeking employment.

What this means is that those who are interested in finding cybersecurity work need to make sure that their skills are up to date and applicable for a variety of different networks. CCNA security training, Cisco security certification and CompTIA security certification—among other distinctions—will be viable assets to have when attempting to find employment.

Explore Cybersecurity Certifications

 

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