6 Essential Skills Cybersecurity Pros Need to Develop in 2019

It's definitely a job seeker's’ market out there in the cybersecurity employment pool. According to an about-to-be released report from ISSA and ESG, 74% of organizations today have been impacted by the cybersecurity skills shortage. Meantime, a report released last month from ISACA says that 60% of organizations need a minimum of three months to fill cybersecurity vacancies because there aren't enough bodies to fill seats.  

On their face, these stats may engender a bit of complacency from cybersecurity professionals. It would only be natural to figure that anybody with a pulse and some security experience has got it made.

But here's the rub.

Many disruptive forces are at play that are set to drastically change the way security duties are carried out in the coming years. New security automation platforms, new architectures, and complex hybrid cloud implementations require major shifts in bread-and-butter security technical knowledge. Not only is security technology changing rapidly, but so are many of the fundamental roles held by cybersecurity professionals. Tons of emerging technologies and pervasive use of the Internet of Things are touching every aspect of business operating models, and software delivery is becoming more agile and embedded into lines of business. As a result, security pros are tasked to take positions requiring more consultative leadership and more enablement of democratized security across the organization.

That is why even the most veteran security pro can't afford to become complacent about professional development. Those who want to truly future-proof their careers need to start honing new skills now to keep up with the disruptions as they hit the industry. The following are some of the most important skills that will make security professionals more instrumental to their current employers, more recruitable, and more likely to command higher salaries.