Career Opportunities In Cybersecurity
Developing the UK’s cyberspace capability is something we like to think we play an active part in, so news that the government is creating a robust cyber security strategy has naturally piqued our interest.
The lightening-speed development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the fact that your own fridge can tell you when to buy milk, means that cyber security is something which we’re all now familiar with, hearing almost daily about glitches, wins or innovation in the news.
It has become such a vital part of everyday life, British Chancellor Phillip Hammond is right to assert that Britain must be able to ‘retaliate in kind against cyber attacks’, and the proposed £1.9bn spend on cyber security is much welcomed.
"Trust in the internet and the infrastructure on which it relies is fundamental to our economic future," he said.
Cyber security job opportunities
Bringing cyber issues into the public consciousness and emphasising the importance of building secure strategies could offer any number of opportunities to people with the relevant cyber skills. It’s undeniably a burgeoning sector which can only grow, both in importance and in demand for talent.
It’s a remit that’s somewhat shrouded in mystery, though, where common perception is that you must possess security clearance to stand a chance of even getting an interview. Though clearance will elevate your application, it doesn’t mean non-cleared candidates will be rejected. There’s a wide range of roles within the sector, plus employers can help candidates obtain clearance if necessary.
Cyber Trends
As Gold Sponsors of the Cyber Security Expo in September, we spoke to scores of industry professionals and asked them what they thought the current and emerging issues in the industry were. While, naturally, developing responses to cyber threats is an on-going subject, they mentioned many other trends, among them:
Remote working in a secure manner: The combination of changing working practices and the IoT means that there are increased risks for those who work remotely. Finding ways to ensure security can exist in this flexible environment is crucial.
Skills shortages: There’s a huge concern that talent pools, particularly in the defence sector, are diminishing. Nothing new there. However, this presents massive opportunities for attracting young people into cyber roles. According to SC Magazine, fewer than half of under-25s would ‘join the fight against cyber-crime’, something which needs urgently to be addressed. Organisations like Cyber Security Challenge UK are taking huge steps in changing that, using gamification to help young people realise they have essential skills.
Businesses will take greater action: Further growth of the IoT will prompt more businesses to invest and build cyber security into their products / processes, or risk data breaches and the inevitable customer anger.
Perm hires: In recruitment, there’s a shift towards permanent hires over contractors. This is to retain talent and knowledge in-house, understandably, and to prevent any vulnerabilities being exposed when contractors take up assignments elsewhere.
If you’d like to learn more about opportunities in this industry, please get in touch with Arm’s specialist Cyber Security Team.
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