10 Trends In Infosec Careers And Staffing
Employment stable for job-seekers, but staffing gaps persist for employers who need better security teams to counter threats
July 16, 2015
This week the folks of Black Hat released the results of a survey of previous conference attendees to get the pulse of the security community on a number of fronts. Particularly illuminating were several of the answers to career-related questions. Most security pros surveyed reported that they're stable in the positions they're at and that they could definitely use more help in the way of increased staffing at their firms. It's a reflection of the overall infosec job market, where employers struggle to find enough qualified candidates and opportunities abound for the right candidates. We've put together the results from the Black Hat survey, along with a few other relevant studies out this year, to get a good picture of the market.
Job stability within the IT security marketplace is high, with less than 15 percent of infosec professionals changing their employer or employment status in the last year.
Source: State of Cybesecurity: Implications for 2015 ISACA/RSA Conference Survey
As things stand, over-three quarters of IT security pros are somewhat to very satisfied with their jobs today.
Source: 2015 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study
Given the satisfaction ratings, it is no surprise that just 12 percent of IT security professionals today are actively seeking new jobs.
Source: 2015 Black Hat Attendee Survey
According to nearly 80 percent of infosec professionals, there's a clear, upward career path or they at least see long-term potential at their current employer, even if what it looks like is a bit hazy.
Source: 2015 Black Hat Attendee Survey
While a stable base of experts is great for employers, the truth is that they're still struggling to recruit enough of those loyal employees to keep up with current threats.
Source: 2015 Black Hat Attendee Survey
The job titles most difficult to fill today include security analyst, auditor, and architect.
Source: 2015 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study
(ISC)2 numbers show that non-technical skills are most in demand as employers struggle to find security-minded professionals with good communication and analytical skills and who can effectively assess and manage risks.
Source: 2015 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study
Meanwhile, ISACA found that the biggest gap in skills is around security pros' ability to understand the business, which incidentally is absolutely crucial to risk assessment and management.
Source: State of Cybesecurity: Implications for 2015 ISACA/RSA Conference Survey
Over 63 percent of security jobs today are left open for three months or longer.
Source: State of Cybersecurity: Implications for 2015 ISACA/RSA Conference Survey
The biggest investments being made in the next three years will be in cloud computing, BYOD, and incident response.
Source: 2015 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study
The biggest investments being made in the next three years will be in cloud computing, BYOD, and incident response.
Source: 2015 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study
This week the folks of Black Hat released the results of a survey of previous conference attendees to get the pulse of the security community on a number of fronts. Particularly illuminating were several of the answers to career-related questions. Most security pros surveyed reported that they're stable in the positions they're at and that they could definitely use more help in the way of increased staffing at their firms. It's a reflection of the overall infosec job market, where employers struggle to find enough qualified candidates and opportunities abound for the right candidates. We've put together the results from the Black Hat survey, along with a few other relevant studies out this year, to get a good picture of the market.
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