For cybersecurity professionals, 2023 was a mixed bag of opportunities and concerns.
The good news is that the number of people in cybersecurity jobs has reached its highest number ever: 5.5 million, according to the 2023 ISC2 Global Workforce Study.
More troubling than the shortfall of approximately 4 million cybersecurity professionals is the slowdown in hiring and the rise of cutbacks.
The need for a skilled cybersecurity workforce is greater than ever due to the rise in cyber threats, new attackers and attack vectors.
A Google search of cybersecurity jobs came up with hundreds of hits.
On the very first page, there were ads for a cybersecurity administrator, a cybersecurity analyst, a cyber intelligence analyst and a cybersecurity engineer.
These descriptions highlight one of the biggest issues cybersecurity professionals face when looking for new jobs or starting their careers.
Entry-level positions often require multiple years of experience along with certifications like CISSP, Security+ and CISA. As government agencies, contractors and the military ramp up their cybersecurity defenses, one key requirement often stands in the way of hiring qualified applicants: security clearances.
Every business, no matter the industry or the size, needs to think about cybersecurity.
According to Cyber Degrees, industries now in near critical need of cybersecurity are digital assets, e-sports and those developing AI technology.
Your best cybersecurity employees have been inside the company all along.
Robert Fitzgerald, Field CISO with Blue Mantis, recommended training new cybersecurity professionals.
Many cybersecurity vendors offer training programs specific to their products, while others offer vendor-neutral training that can build on skill sets.
Organizations like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and ISC2 offer training options, as well.
There are some basic hard skills that every cybersecurity professional needs to know.
Organizations need cybersecurity professionals with experience with governance frameworks.
Cybersecurity requires communication, so cybersecurity professionals need good verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work with people face-to-face.
If interacting with the security team intimidates the rest of the organization's employees, cybersecurity efforts will fail.
The ISC2 report found that formal cybersecurity education is less in demand, especially advanced degrees and knowledge of advanced cybersecurity concepts.
No matter your background, if building knowledge around threat actor behaviors and putting together the strategy to protect data and networks is something that interests you, you've already taken the first step toward becoming a cybersecurity professional.
This Cyber News was published on securityintelligence.com. Publication date: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 19:13:07 +0000