Internet Businesses To Fuel Need For Cyber Security Professionals

With increasing complexity of the security threat landscape, demand is increasing for IT professionals specialising in cyber security 

There is almost nothing that you can’t order online these days. Clothes, book, accessories, food, medicines and cabs -- everything is available at the tap of a finger. But recent incidents of hacking of several internet startups have again brought the focus on cyber security. 

In fact, a cyber security report recently released by ISACA, the global IT association that took insights from more than 660 cyber security professionals, revealed that many organisations are leaving the door open to an advanced persistent threat (APT) attack. 

The study found that 
•  More than one in four (28%) companies has experienced an APT attack.
•  Social engineering remains at the centre of APT’s efforts to gain foothold into companies’ information systems. 
•  Early attempts began with phishing, evolved to spear phishing and moved to whaling, which often included an attachment or a link that contained malware or an exploit. 
•  APTs have moved in the past three years on to the internet as the main attack vector,leveraging  websites, social media and mobile apps. 

This evolving cyber security landscape is in fact creating a consistent demand for quality cyber security professionals who can tackle such threats effectively. 

“Advanced persistent threats have become the norm. Many major breaches are connected to APT tools and methodologies. As a result, it is more critical than ever for cyber security leaders and professionals to have a thorough understanding of these threats, and to be prepared to quickly and effectively respond,” said Christos Dimitriadis, international president, ISACA. 
 According to TechGig.com data, the demand for cyber security professionals is not only within security software vendors but also within industries such as telecom and BFSI, where data is extremely critical, and now slowly within the e-commerce industry. 
We did a drill down to analyse the kind of skills the industry is looking out for in cyber security professionals. Here is a snapshot: 

•  Knowledge and strong domain expertise and technology  implementation and integration,experience in identity and access  management, end point security,security incident and event  management, data protection, encryption and key management  
•  Knowledge of applicable industry standards, leading security practices  and regulatory  requirements 
•  Knowledge and practical understanding of security fundamentals and  general security  technologies
•  Ability to develop solution architectures and blue prints based on  business, technology and  security objectives 
•  Calibre to architect enterprise-level security solutions and drive    technical design and  implementation 
•  Operate as a technical subject matter expert and advise project teams   regarding integration with multiple cyber security technologies

Though industries are not looking at hiring large number of cyber security professionals, demand is high for quality talent with proven skills in internet security domain. 

As per Cyber Crime Defence data, the maximum demand is for middle-level professionals who have between 2 and 5 years of experience. 

With cyber threats getting more and more complex, going forward the need for cyber security professionals is only going to increase. If you are an IT professional who is just kick-starting your career, cyber security is one thing which you must explore. 

If definitely holds a lot of promise as a career if your passion coincides with what the job role demands.