Cybersecurity Pros are Wanted…and They Can Name Their Price

There’s a shortage when it comes to cybersecurity pros. With more and more hackers attacking even the most secure websites and firewalls, it’s becoming abundantly clear that businesses need to have cybersecurity professionals on their payroll.

There’s one problem. There aren’t enough cybersecurity professionals to go around. It’s making it harder to hire the staff that is needed and stay within budget. It seems that professionals know just how highly sought after they are. It means they can essentially name their price in order to get hired somewhere.

More Attacks Lead to More Concerns

Some serious attacks have been made to show companies and government agencies around the world that cybersecurity professionals are worth their weight in gold. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack was a costly one – and resulted in gas shortages along the East Coast of the U.S. Over 100 government agencies around the globe have been hacked within the past year, too.

Often, the companies being hacked have no choice but to pay the ransom demands.
What’s concerning is that many of the companies know that their cybersecurity needs aren’t being met. In fact, Colonial had a job listing for a cybersecurity manager posted just a week before its attack.

Supply and Demand Leads to a Talent War

If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a talent war going on. According to studies, there are hundreds of thousands of vacancies in cybersecurity around the world. Companies want professionals but can’t find them. It’s only going to create even more problems as attacks become commonplace.

The talent war is a result of simple supply and demand. There’s a significant demand with a shortage in the supply.

In order to fill vacancies, you have to recognize that there’s a war happening over the best talent. You have to be willing to pay top dollar and provide a highly sought-after workplace. Otherwise, the talent will seek a more lucrative position.

Focus on a Long-Term Solution

You need employees that are capable of working in cybersecurity. Rather than hiring everyone, look at those who can fill some of the entry-level positions. Then, be prepared to invest in education, training, and up-skilling so that you can address the shortage for the long term.

As you train your existing employees and hire new ones, you can make sure that your business is protected against the various hacks that can take place.
The pros are out there. The question is, do you want to pay them or do you want to develop your own talent?

Cybersecurity Pros are Wanted…and They Can Name Their Price

There’s a shortage when it comes to cybersecurity pros. With more and more hackers attacking even the most secure websites and firewalls, it’s becoming abundantly clear that businesses need to have cybersecurity professionals on their payroll.

There’s one problem. There aren’t enough cybersecurity professionals to go around. It’s making it harder to hire the staff that is needed and stay within budget. It seems that professionals know just how highly sought after they are. It means they can essentially name their price in order to get hired somewhere.

More Attacks Lead to More Concerns

Some serious attacks have been made to show companies and government agencies around the world that cybersecurity professionals are worth their weight in gold. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack was a costly one – and resulted in gas shortages along the East Coast of the U.S. Over 100 government agencies around the globe have been hacked within the past year, too.

Often, the companies being hacked have no choice but to pay the ransom demands.

What’s concerning is that many of the companies know that their cybersecurity needs aren’t being met. In fact, Colonial had a job listing for a cybersecurity manager posted just a week before its attack.

Supply and Demand Leads to a Talent War

If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a talent war going on. According to studies, there are hundreds of thousands of vacancies in cybersecurity around the world. Companies want professionals but can’t find them. It’s only going to create even more problems as attacks become common place.

The talent war is a result of simple supply and demand. There’s a significant demand with a shortage in the supply.

In order to fill vacancies, you have to recognize that there’s a war happening over the best talent. You have to be willing to pay top dollar and provide a highly sought-after work place. Otherwise, the talent will seek a more lucrative position.

Focus on a Long-Term Solution

You need employees that are capable of working in cybersecurity. Rather than hiring everyone, look at those who can fill some of the entry-level positions. Then, be prepared to invest in education, training, and up-skilling so that you can address the shortage for the long term.

As you train your existing employees and hire new ones, you can make sure that your business is protected against the various hacks that can take place.

The pros are out there. The question is, do you want to pay them or do you want to develop your own talent?

The Cyber Security Market is Rapidly Evolving

More and more businesses have grown reliant on information technology – particularly as it is what kept many afloat during the pandemic. As the cyber security market grows and evolves, it’s important to look at what changes are being made.

There are considerably more security and data protection regulations that need to be navigated.

Crime is occurring with greater frequency online as hackers and other criminals look to commit fraud and steal both information and money.

There are even state-sponsored cyber attacks happening around the globe, for such reasons as industrial espionage and disrupting critical infrastructure.

Cyber Criminals are Evolving

It only makes sense that the cyber security market is evolving since cybercriminals are doing the same. Many have enhanced their operations in order to exploit IT vulnerabilities. They look for new and emerging technologies to ensure that they are at the forefront of the market.

Knowing that cybercriminals are often better at technology than businesses can spell trouble.

Companies Have to Be Prepared

More businesses are moving to the cloud to make it easier to work remotely. With cloud-first policies being adopted, it can lead to more vulnerability.

Companies have to be willing to not only embrace the digital transformation but also look to protect themselves in the process.

IT environments are often hybrid. They live on local computers as well as in the cloud to ensure that there is sufficient data and services accessible to employees throughout a company.

People work from offices, from coffee shops, and from home. This expanding business model also increases the enterprise attack surface. Hackers have more to go after, which means that there is also more that must be defended.

Cyber Security Professionals Need to Be Armed and Ready

As you look to protect yourself, it’s critical that you hire cyber security professionals who understand the rapidly evolving market. They need to understand how attacks are performed through social engineering and through firewalls.

Keeping you protected is serious. An IT professional has to protect your business operations in a number of ways:

– Against intellectual property loss

– Against reputational damage

– Against data breaches

– Maintaining regulatory compliance

– Ensuring continued business operations

Every industry sector is online and using various technologies. This means that regardless of your industry or size, you are not immune to the various cyber security threats that exist.

While you may not be able to keep up on all of the trends that occur in response to cyber security, it’s critical that you have an IT professional who will do it for you.

The Cybersecurity Jobs Crisis is Worsening…Don’t Make These Hiring Mistakes

There are more challenges than ever before, and overworked cybersecurity employees are struggling to pick up the slack. Knowing what your employees are going through and what it takes to keep them on the payroll is critical.

Make the Investment

One of the biggest mistakes that businesses (of all sizes) make is not investing sufficiently into cybersecurity and their enterprise networks. This means that the cybersecurity teams that are in place have to work overtime to keep everything working properly.

A study conducted by Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) along with Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) warns that insufficiently investing along with adding more work to employees results in a skills shortage.

Jobs go unfilled. And the jobs that are filled result in a high burnout rate.

Over 500 cybersecurity professionals were surveyed in the study. Over 50% identified that a shortage of cybersecurity skills has had a negative impact on the company that they work for.

Reduce the Workload

Your employees are going to be happier and more productive when you reduce the work load on them. Cybersecurity jobs are already difficult to hire for. However, by adding more staff, you can actually get better results. Additionally, you need to make sure that the staff you do hire has the skills that are needed. Otherwise, you’re adding to your payroll without getting the desired return on investment.

You have to focus on mental health. If your information security staff is in burnout mode due to extra pressure at work, it’s only a matter of time before they leave in pursuit of a better job.

Hire Knowledgeable Employees in Every Department

Employees are forced to remote work more than ever before. Many don’t know how to use cloud applications, which means that cybersecurity professionals are having to provide training. Further, there’s a greater need for those with skills in cloud computing security.

By hiring people in every department that understands how to use the cloud, you can set yourself up for a greater level of success.

Talk with Your Existing Staff

In the end, talk with your existing staff to find out what skills they need your next hires to have. They are in the trenches every day and know where their frustrations lie. Rather than guessing at what skills are needed, let your information security staff provide you with a list.

When you know what skills to hire for, you can be more proactive. It can reduce the level of burnout and ensure that existing employees and new hires stick around for the long haul.

The cybersecurity industry is rapidly changing because hackers are getting smarter. Understanding some of the latest trends will help you to understand what to keep an eye on. It can ensure you take the necessary precautions to secure your own online presence.

More Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware has been a problem for years. The trend is on the rise, however, and many industries are experiencing the attacks. One of the worst that the U.S. has seen was the attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which led to fuel pumps along the East Coast shutting down for days.

The healthcare sector has been attacked with greater frequency, too. As more hospitals and healthcare providers focus on digital transformation and more people transition to remote work, it’s likely that more ransomware attacks will occur.
While even the most advanced systems are vulnerable, the best ways to prevent an attack is to embrace cloud-based security solutions and keep all software and systems updated with the latest malware and virus protection.

COVID-Related Attacks

Many cybercriminals are using COVID-19 as an opportunity to expose cracks in cybersecurity defenses of companies around the world. Some reports show a 600 percent rise in cybercrime since the start of the global pandemic, especially as people have embraced a remote work culture.

COVID-related scams are coming in by email, phone calls, and SMS texts. Some of the top scams pretend to be charities looking to assist front-line workers or companies looking to sell protective equipment.

With proper and updated antivirus software from top cybersecurity companies, you can often avoid such an attack. Additionally, avoid clicking suspicious links and opening attachments from unknown sources.

Increased Social Media Threats

Businesses and individuals alike have reported more threats coming from hackers and cybercriminals on social media, including Facebook and Instagram. Accounts aren’t verified sufficiently on social media platforms, leading to a number of false accounts. As soon as a hacker is authenticated, it can lead to a significant amount of exploitation.

Those in cybersecurity careers will caution people to check on the privacy settings that you use on all of your profiles. Further, use strong passwords to prevent people from being able to hack in and take over your accounts.

Supply Chain Attacks

Supply chains have been attacked, costing millions of dollars and leading to individuals and businesses waiting on products that are needed. SolarWinds’ Orion network was hacked in December 2020, impacting a supply chain of over 18,000 organizations. It’s inevitable that more hacks will happen in the future, too.

Real-time security updates can help to protect you against such attacks. It’s also important to educate employees about responsible online (and offline) security practices.

How Top Cybersecurity Companies Can Help

With more cybercriminals than ever looking to prey on the vulnerable, you need to know how to respond. The top cybersecurity companies are changing their approach. They’re aware of the trends and they’re helping individuals and businesses to improve their security practices.

As cybercrimes become more prevalent, more cybersecurity careers become available. Companies look to hire the best. Further, more people opt for IT careers that focus on the cybersecurity industry more than any other sector.