Careers / Desperately Seeking Cyber-Security Talent

Desperately Seeking Cyber-Security Talent

By Gina Roos | Posted 2016-06-13

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Desperately Seeking Cyber-Security Talent

IT professionals looking to boost their salaries may want to beef up their security skills, along with related certifications.
Strong Demand for Security Pros

IT decision makers said professionals with experience and certifications in IT security are at the top of their 2016 lists for talent recruitment. The top technologies are cyber-security (43%), cloud computing (38%), IT architecture (35%), network engineering (31%) and network operations (26%).
Skills Shortage in Security

One in three IT decision makers has difficulty finding skilled talent to fill cyber-security positions, while one in five reported difficulty filling cloud-related roles.
Recruitment Troubles

More than 70 percent of the IT decision makers polled said they are having difficulty filling positions in IT security, IT architecture, cloud computing, network engineering and .NET development.
Top Certification

35% of certified IT professionals hold one or more CompTIA certifications. One in four certified respondents hold an A+ certification, one in five hold a Network+ certification and 17% hold a Security+ certification.
Certification Leaders

Certification leaders include Cisco, with 33% of IT professionals holding at least one Cisco certification, followed by security (30%), Microsoft (30%), and ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and IT service management (19%) certifications.
Higher Salaries for Security Skills

Security certifications garner three of the top five salaries reported. Average salaries range from $81,316 for CompTIA Security+ to more than $120,000 for ISACA's Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and (ISC)2's Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) variants.
Rising Salaries

Average salaries increased from $75,889 to $76,865 for IT staff and from $109,165 to $111,167 for IT decision makers.
Building New Skills

75% of IT respondents said they use professional development to build new skills, and half said preparing for a career certification or specialist exam is a top motivator.
Current and Future Skills Gaps

62% of IT decision makers said their IT teams have measurable skills gaps today or will likely have them within the next two years.
Value in Training

Six out of 10 IT decision makers said their team members receive company-provided training. A significant majority (65% to 74%, depending on staff size) authorized training for certification or recertification.
Money for Training Is Tight

More than 45% of those who did not train in the previous year blamed a lack of funds. IT decision makers said the lack of training funds is one of the primary reasons for the skills gaps.
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It's no surprise the annual 2016 IT Skills and Salary Report from Global Knowledge finds cyber-security talent at the list of IT skills in high demand. As the number of data breaches continues to rise annually, along with rising costs associated with them, organizations are placing more emphasis on cyber-security. In fact, the survey of more than 10,000 IT and business professionals in North America indicates that IT security is the technology area most likely to expand in 2016. More than 40 percent of respondents expect to increase their security efforts in 2016, no matter the company size, industry and geography. Other skills in high demand include cloud computing, IT architecture, and network and systems engineering and operations. However, organizations are having a difficult time finding the skilled talent to fill these positions, and many pin the reason on a lack of training funds. IT professionals looking to boost their salaries may want to beef up their cyber-security skills through training, including related certification programs. Here are key takeaways that provide insight into some of the highest paying certifications and the biggest skills in demand.

Gina Roos is a business and technology writer who has contributed print and Web articles to leading electronic industry publications. She was Editor-in-Chief at Electronics Sourcing North America, and served as Site Editor for UBM's Green SupplyLine and Electronics Supply & Manufacturing Websites. She also authored the "In the Channel" column, covering the electronics distribution industry for EETimes ProductWeek. Gina was the founder and editor of Electronics Advocate, an online magazine covering design and supply chain issues in the electronics industry. The publication was sold to MMG Publishing UK in 2010. Gina has a degree in journalism.