Five years sounds a long way off, but when you think that it’s only been five years since Scotland decided to stay with England, Taylor Swift was shaking it off, and we sadly lost the Genie – 60 months really isn’t that far away. If you want to ensure that your cybersecurity career is still thriving by 2024, read on as we look at the top trends and IT security jobs shaping the industry over the next five years.
What’s going to happen: As AI technology advances, becoming more affordable and increasingly utilised, IT professionals are concerned about the future of their position – and cybersecurity specialists are no exception. While it is without a doubt that AI will take on some of the tasks previously assigned to your cybersecurity role, you can expect this to enhance, not replace, your position. You’ll be using AI to perform security tasks at an astounding rate – enabling you to spend more time quickly catching and patching any security flaws and issues. You’ll also have more time to spend advising your company on security strategy, keeping up-to-date and ahead of the cybersecurity trends, and leading projects to enhance tech security around the whole business.
What you should be doing now: Dedicating time to enhancing the soft skills that will enable you to advise on strategy and manage security projects, such as team-work, communication and interpersonal skills.
What’s going to happen: We can expect the smart home to get even smarter over the coming years, as the use of IoT connected devices surges. 62 billion IoT connected devices are expected to be in use by 2024, but with increased connectivity comes increased exposure to security risks and data breaches. Cybersecurity jobs focusing on protecting homes, businesses and whole cities from IoT cyber attacks are expected to rocket, bringing attractive salaries and exciting projects with them.
What you should be doing now: Keeping your knowledge up-to-date and ahead of cybercriminals by attending meetups, reading IT industry news blogs and following leading professionals on social media.
What’s going to happen: The European tech scene is booming, with leading companies and startups across the continent scouting the top IT talent from the UK. As these companies begin to grow and advance, so will their cybersecurity needs and teams. We’re already seeing an increased demand for IT security specialists in certain countries, including Sweden and the Netherlands, and we expect this to continue and expand.
What you should be doing now: Keeping up-to-date on the current IT vacancies across Europe by registering with a European IT recruitment agency.
What’s going to happen: Last year, we talked about why financial companies are failing to recognise cybersecurity threats, with one of the main reasons being the lack of importance given to the discipline. As awareness, media attention and financial losses increase, the demand for cybersecurity professionals across all industries is set to triple over the next five years. We expect this to create a skills crisis in the industry, where the number of jobs far outweighs the amount of talent – leading to attractive salaries and lucrative benefits.
What you should be doing now: Starting your IT security job search now by preparing your CV and polishing your interview technique.
What’s going to happen: As awareness of cybersecurity increases, the number of companies employing ethical hackers is also set to expand. Using the same tools and techniques as criminal hackers, ethical hackers will be used to expose and fix vulnerabilities in an organisation’s systems, software and data.
What you should be doing now: Keeping on top of the latest IT security trends and taking part in ethical hackathons.
What’s going to happen: Women are excelling in cybersecurity, bringing different insights, fresh perspectives and, most importantly, talent to the table. While females are currently only making up one-in-six tech specialists in the UK, this number is rising, and the next five years are crucial for making things equal. You can expect fairer recruitment practices, benefits packages and selection processes – leading to a happier, healthier and well-balanced cybersecurity community.
What should you be doing now: Following our blog for the latest news on women in IT and partnering with an equal opportunities IT recruitment agency.
As technology continues to advance, so will the breadth and depth of cyberattacks – meaning that the industry isn’t set to slow down any time soon. Keep your cybersecurity career on track and your talents in demand by partnering with Evolution’s specialist IT security recruitment consultants for the latest updates, vacancies and news.
