Data breaches have become an almost frequent occurrence in the IT industry, with recent high profile issues only driving further awareness of how vulnerable data can be. In the second part of a look into IT security, CWJobs.co.uk explores how hackers can be used to organisation’s advantages.
It’s clear that professionals are concerned about how well equipped Britain’s IT security industry is for any forthcoming breaches. In fact, 4 in 10 professionals don’t believe that there are currently enough skilled security professionals in the UK technology industry that are able to take on the challenges of constantly evolving threats. An ill equipped workforce could be highly detrimental to businesses across the country that rely on the ability to securely store and share data.
With a perceived shortfall of skills, professionals working within the IT industry have an alternate solution to training up a new workforce. Indeed, 70% of IT professionals believe that hiring ex-hackers could be the answer to tackling cyber threats. Hackers already have an in-depth understand of IT security, meaning in theory they could be the answer to Britain’s mounting security issues.
Over two thirds of professionals (69%) think that it’s good for businesses to hire ex-hackers into security roles if they have the right skills, and some businesses are already utilising them. The Ministry of Defence is one such example, stating that they are considering recruiting convicted computer hackers to the UK’s cyber defence force, but only if they pass security vetting.
With 70% of professionals believing that demand for IT pros with security skills is growing, and 69% thinking that young people are more attracted to the world of hacking than IT security, these findings present an interesting tactic for those keen to find new ways to meet the demand for security professionals – though perhaps one that should be treated with some caution.
Richard Nott | @CwJobsUk | CwJobs
Richard Nott is Website Director at CWJobs.co.uk and has worked with the company for 14 years.
CWJobs.co.uk is the leading specialist IT recruitment website serving contract and permanent IT jobseekers throughout the UK and Ireland. The site draws over 509,000 unique users each month, attracted by the opportunity to search an average of more than 10,000 IT job opportunities at any one time.
Part 1: Are You Reacting To An Enhanced Need For Data Security?
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