A survey from Exabeam, a cybersecurity and Security Information Event Management (SIEM) company, revealed that the cybersecurity industry witnessed a positive trend in salary and job satisfaction over the past three years. The survey, “The 2020 Cybersecurity Professionals Salary, Skills and Stress,” stated that 96% of respondents admitted they are happy in their role, and 87% are satisfied with their earnings. It also found an improvement in gender diversity in the sector, with female respondents increasing from 9% in 2019 to 21% this year.
Nearly, 53% said their jobs are either stressful or very stressful, which decreased from last year (62%). 100% of respondents aged 18-24 admit they feel secure in their roles and responsibilities and 93% are happy with their salaries. However, majority of the young employees are more concerned that technology will replace their roles despite 88% of cybersecurity professionals believing automation will make their jobs easier.
On automation software, 89% of respondents under 45 years said it will improve their jobs, yet 47% are still threatened by its use. On a geographic basis, 47% of the U.S. respondents were concerned about job security when automation software is in use, as well as Singapore (54%), Germany (42%), Australia (40%), and the U.K. (33%).
Samantha Humphries, Security Strategist at Exabeam, said, “The concern for automation among younger professionals in cybersecurity was surprising to us. In trying to understand this sentiment, we could partially attribute it to lack of on-the-job training using automation technology. As we noted earlier this year in our State of the SOC research, ambiguity around career path or lack of understanding about automation can have an impact on job security. It’s also possible that this is a symptom of the current economic climate or a general lack of experience navigating the workforce during a global recession.”
“There is evidence that automation and AI/ML are being embraced, but this year’s survey exposed fascinating generational differences when it comes to professional openness and using all available tools to do their jobs. And while gender diversity is showing positive signs of improvement, it’s clear we still have a very long way to go in breaking down barriers for female professionals in the security industry,” said Phil Routley, Senior Product Marketing Manager, APJ, Exabeam.
