The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been doing their thing for more than 150 years, but mark 2016 as the year we saw hackers completely derail the DNC convention. Shall we toast? I think not.
As I write this, merely hours since the news of the hack hit headlines, we are seeing fingers fly every which way. From “Who done it” to “You’re fired!” this one is sure to get under your skin… no matter your political beliefs.
Rather than stir the pot, I want to bring a different conversation to the table. One that should matter to you and every other person on this planet: “Cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation.” For the record, that’s our current President’s words, and it’s as serious as it gets. Not only do we face threats like cyber warfare, but a dramatic surge in sophisticated attacks spotlights another problem just as big. We are facing a very real talent shortage in cybersecurity, worldwide. Let’s talk about what that means for you –
THE GOOD: High demand and low supply means the cyber job market is on fire; there are big opportunities and healthy salaries for experienced people. It’s also considered one of the best fields out there for job growth, according to U.S. News and World Report.
THE BAD: We are looking at nearly TWO MILLION vacant cybersecurity jobs in the next few years. It’s not that there aren’t enough people to fill these positions – there are. Rather, there aren’t enough QUALIFIED people.
THE UGLY: The field of cybersecurity is 90% men. NINETY PERCENT! We have to fix this imbalance, and soon. For starters, we need to promote STEM education to girls in school. We also need to make more women aware of opportunities in the industry – organizations like Women in Cybersecurity are doing just that.
But if your background isn’t technical, that’s OK too. A career in security doesn’t mean you have to come from a hacking background, or go to a school renowned for its software engineering program. With all due respect, the top paying job in cyber right now is a software engineer, with an average salary of nearly $250,000 (according to the job board Dice). An SE degree is a great inroad to the business... but it’s not the only path.
Bringing people in from other industries is an essential way to solve the massive talent deficit we face, right up there with getting more women on the front lines of this industry, and inspiring more girls to choose STEM paths.
Gone are the days of cyber being only IT jobs, limited to government agencies, a few big security companies, and IT departments. Actually, the industries with the highest demand for cyber workers right now are finance, health care, and retail. We’re looking at more than 100% job growth in these spaces. But, why?
Every company on the planet has to protect their customer data; their employee data; their intellectual property. They have to ensure operations aren’t shut down by a hack and their customers don’t experience a denial of service. Companies also have to keep their employees educated on how to stay digitally safe. They have to comply with privacy and compliance laws, and manage risk.
The bottom line: there are a wealth of job opportunities inside and outside IT, all related to cybersecurity.
If you’re interested, start small. Better yet, start with FREE. Join Twitter chats like @stopthnkconnect’s series. And start following key security leaders to keep up on the news. Some of my favorites include @briankrebs and @darkreading. You’ll find yourself familiar with the lingo in no time. Other things you can participate in are the National Cybersecurity Virtual Job Fair, by Cyber Aces, and on the web, check out special publications by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
If you’re headed to college, the ones below offer some of the best cybersecurity degree programs in the world (and keep in mind that higher education is important in this sector – more than 80% of jobs posted require a bachelor’s degree):
- University of Texas, San Antonio
- Norwich University
- Mississippi State University
- Syracuse University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Purdue University
The cybersecurity field can offer challenging and rewarding work across a full career. The number of connected devices, and our reliance on the connected world, is only growing from here. Somebody needs to secure the world – why not you?