Cybersecurity And IoT Suffering From The Skills Shortage

The cybersecurity skills shortage is hampering Internet of Things development, according to new research from Experis, which examines how the growth of IoT is impacting the cyber security jobs market. The emergence of IoT as an asset that needs to secured is driving employers to think differently about their business and workforce strategies.

In today's world of work, companies must plan for unpredictability and need to be built for change. With technological disruption and geopolitical uncertainty continuing at pace, we can be certain that further change lies ahead.

Companies need to adapt, so they can keep businesses running smoothly with one hand, while preparing for a different and uncertain future with the other. Industry Insiders delves into the latest trends that are forcing employers to think differently about their business and workforce strategies.

The new opportunities that business leaders can harness in order to secure the future success of their organisation, and the challenges that must be addressed along the way have a number of effects on UK business.

• UK businesses are struggling to find the right blend of security skills to harness the power of the Internet of Things, and the cyber security jobs market is feeling the strain of increased demand.
• Roles in cyber security have increased by 16.6% from the previous quarter, while the IoT jobs market rose by 48.8% during the same period.
• Businesses are having to be creative and take a blended approach to their talent acquisition strategies - getting fast access to the skills they need right now, while taking a longer-term view to enable strategic development.

This Experis Industry Insiders report shows that there were 13,214 cyber security roles advertised in Q4 2018, up 10% year-on-year and 16.6% from the previous quarter. Average cyber security salaries dipped 2% year-on-year to £58,557 (a surprising figure, perhaps), while contractor day rates soared by 19.6% during the same period, to £505.

So, the report reveals that while demand for cyber security professionals continues to rise, businesses are prioritising short terms fixes via contractors, over long-term solutions to their talent needs.

An analysis of job titles reveals that it is front line workers who are most in demand. In cyber security, there are more open vacancies for security engineers, consultants, architects and analysts than any other position. For IoT-related postings, software engineers, technical architects, managers and testers are most sought after. This highlights how much emphasis is being put on actually being able to build and analyse, in both areas of technology.

Experis:        Information Age:     Image: Nick Youngson

You Might Also Read:

No Easy Button Solution To Cybersecurity’s Skills Shortage: