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The increasing number of mobile phone users and easy affordability of high-speed internet has made cybersecurity all the more relevant today

Businesses have benefited tremendously from technological innovations, which has resulted in wider customer reach and cost savings

India has not managed to create a skilled workforce to meet this rising demand to secure business operations

One of the fastest-growing domains of the IT industry, cybersecurity has witnessed rising demands in recent years. Needless to say, the reason for this high demand is its importance in today’s digital age. The increasing number of mobile phone users and easy affordability of high-speed internet has made cybersecurity all the more relevant today, especially in the Indian context where people have become more reliant on online monetary transactions after the demonetization. Unfortunately, awareness around safe internet usage is not that high enough, making users susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Additionally, the ongoing pandemic, which has already lasted for more than a year now, has brought about a lot of changes for global businesses, acceleration of digitization being one of them. Businesses have benefited tremendously from technological innovations, which has resulted in wider customer reach and cost savings. This digital transformation, however, is not without its challenges. Among other things, it has brought with it a constant fear of cyber-attacks. The Mint reports that this year, India has witnessed a massive surge in cybercrimes following the rapid digitization in the pandemic era. On average, more than 3000 cyber-attacks have been reported daily, amounting to 1.16 million cases in 2020. The rising cases of cyber-attacks are a clear indication that we need to prepare a skilled workforce who can protect our digital assets and ensure the uninterrupted progress of the global business.

Companies around the world are increasingly investing in ensuring a secured cyber environment for their assets. Even developed nations such as the USA have been victims of cyberattacks with the most recent one in April where two hacking groups exploited vulnerabilities in a VPN service to target organizations across the U.S. and Europe with a particular focus on U.S. defence contractors. If developed nations are struggling to protect their digital assets, one can imagine the challenges India is facing to keep its game up. In India alone, cyberattacks have increased by 117 percent in 2019, compared to 2018, making companies look for cybersecurity experts who can protect their systems from any kind of threat. Our only hope right now is to build an expert workforce that can address this increasing number of cyber threats and create a safe cyber environment for users across the globe.

However, India has not managed to create a skilled workforce to meet this rising demand. According to the Data Security Council of India, the demand for cybersecurity professionals stands at around 1 Mn currently. This is a huge opportunity for young professionals who want to pursue a rewarding career in one of the most relevant domains right now.

The youth of this country has a chance to turn this demand-supply gap into an opportunity for themselves and pave a rewarding career path. A booming field already, a career in cybersecurity can reward professionals in multiple ways. Cybersecurity is one of the very few domains, which has relevance in every industry due to the transition into the digital economy. As an ever-expanding field, cybersecurity offers the best learning and growth opportunities for individuals who are up for its challenges. Yes, the learning process isn’t the easiest, but that is what makes it more gratifying. While upskilling in this domain can take a lot of dedication and determination, it is not without proportionate results.

High Demands For Cybersecurity Talent From Global Cos

Cybersecurity experts are a few of the fortunate professionals in the market who get unsolicited offers from recruiters. That is how high the demand is in this domain right now. In a market where pandemic-induced unemployment is very much a problem, having good jobs come your way can be very reassuring. If professionals have the right skill sets, recruiters will seek them out. Additionally, it does not matter where one is based. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is regardless of the geographic location. In fact, professionals could also work from home since hardware dependency is minimal. Currently, all multinational companies are looking for experts to fill up high impactful positions in cybersecurity and this trend is here to stay.

“1.5 Mn unfilled job vacancies by 2025”, the statement that has hit the headlines time and again during the digital revolution in India. This pool is in reference to Cybersecurity profiles that companies require as part of their workforce. Security infrastructure and enforcement is no longer the ambiguous component under the IT umbrella. Over the last few years, Cybersecurity has become an independent entity, which requires candidates to have core competencies over a hybrid profile. Filling these roles has become increasingly difficult leading to a single posting being filled over a 50 to 60 day period. The statistics are such due to the small labour pool with the skills in demand. To get boots on the ground at an accelerated pace, employers are willing to raise the compensation and benefits to get professionals on the payroll. For example: A Security Architect at companies like Wipro, Cerner, Unisys and CapGemini earns between INR 18 – 27L per year which is around 30% higher than the Hybrid IT profile.

LinkedIn as a job platform reports around 250+ new positions listed on the day this post was compiled. Naukri, Indeed and similar platforms have on average 30,000 positions listed and these roles are now filled by professionals who are upskilling themselves in Cybersecurity.

This is the jarring indication that needs to be highlighted across the board as it boils down to the statement at the beginning of this discussion. Demand is extremely high; supply is exponentially smaller in comparison. The solution is – skill up in the core competencies of your interest and become a qualified candidate to work as a security professional at any organization.

Candidates with a degree in computer science or other IT fields can start off on this path. There are ample scopes for upskilling, which will prepare them well for real-world cybersecurity challenges and bridge the demand-supply gap that is grappling the world right now.