They say every cloud has a silver lining, and that certainly seems to be the case for IT professionals following the recent rise in prevalence and awareness of cyber-crime.
According to results from the Robert Walters Salary Survey, salaries for roles in IT security are set to receive a significant increase with employers offering an average rise of 14%, the largest across the industry.
This is a clear response to the significant amount of high-profile security breaches seen throughout 2015, with organizations looking to secure the highest caliber of talent available to strengthen their defenses against cyber-criminals.
Steve Corbett, Associate Director of IT recruitment, Robert Walters, said:
“Over the last year we've seen a massive increase in both permanent and interim cybersecurity roles due largely to the ongoing threat around IT and cyber-crime. The challenges facing companies continue to grow in volume and complexity as cybersecurity threats constantly evolve.”
“The impact of high-profile IT security breaches involving attacks on major companies has served to bring this emerging threat into the public eye, increasing pressure from regulators and legislators on companies to have a dedicated cybersecurity representative and to meet specific standards of security.”
A new focus on data security brings an inevitable need for fresh digital transformation projects within large companies, so those working in developer roles are also set to benefit from increased salaries. The survey revealed that they can expect to see wages rise by an average of 9%.
The shortage of skilled employees working within the IT industry has been a popular talking-point for some time, so it comes as no great surprise that companies are now taking greater steps to bolster their resources.
Infosecurity asked Steve Durbin, Managing Director of Information Security Forum, whether he expects to see a more secure, protected industry as a result of these changes. He told us:
“Only time will tell, but we would certainly hope that an increase in skills and capabilities in this field would be reflected in a stronger cyber-resilience at the companies able to take on such skilled individuals – what it means for those unable to match such pay points of course is a different matter.
"With the continued emphasis on protecting a company’s resources from cyber-criminals along with increased compliance and regulatory requirements, the smartest companies should certainly be looking to increase their investment in skills but also in the processes and technology to address cyber-risk which is fast becoming one of the major components on any company’s risk register today.”