For decades, the cybersecurity industry has been suffering from perpetual skill shortage. In fact, a study by Cybersecurity Ventures reveals that the cybersecurity job openings will hit 3.5 million by 2021, with a median salary for information security professionals at $92,600.
“I see the demand continuing to increase in the cybersecurity field. We as a society are putting more and more of our lives, our systems, and our data online. More has to be protected. More has to be secured,” says Kenneth Knapp, director of cybersecurity programs at The University of Tampa while talking to Bizjournals.
Among the industries with crying needs for cybersecurity are finance, retail and health care, thanks to legal and industry standard requirements. Fortunately, there has been a surge in demands has been for fresh infosec graduates due to the recent cyberattacks like WannaCry and Petya. According to Economic Times, the student from Gujarat Forensic Sciences University in India with masters in cybersecurity programs received 70 offers from international conglomerates, which in comparison was 125 percent more than the previous year.
“The demand for cyber-security specialists has shot up so much after the recent spate of cyber-attacks that six companies have already rolled out about 30 pre-placement offers to batch 2018,” said Digvijaysinh Rathod, training and placement officer at the university, while talking to Economic Times.
The fastidious talent buying spree is not only among multinational companies, but also young and budding startups. Even consulting firms are on a hiring spree across countries with trained infosec professionals like from US, the UK and Israel. May technology giants are hiring expats at mid and senior levels and have tied up with global universities for both education and hiring purposes.
Among the industries with crying needs for cybersecurity are finance, retail and health care, thanks to legal and industry standard requirements, Knapp says. But as the Internet of Things broadens, as well as the scope of connected devices and systems, all sectors of our economy will see a growing need for experts, he said.
Knapp and his colleagues at UT are working to address the demand with rapidly growing programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels meant to train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
