More IT jobs are becoming available for those with the skills to secure enterprise data.
It will not cause much surprise that cyberattacks are on the rise. It may shock some, however, to learn just how much the risk has increased in the last 12 months.
According to a report published this month by Gemalto, global data breaches grew by a huge 49 per cent last year. Since 2013, the number of records stolen or lost also grew by an incredible – and worrying – 78 per cent.
This equates to around 32 data thefts taking place globally every second of every day.
Consequently, more companies are reinforcing their defences by taking IT recruitment more seriously over the next 12 months, according to a new study by Robert Half Technology. The researchers found that there has been a surge in awareness among businesses towards the risks that hackers pose, and they are planning to fight back against such cyberthreats.
To do this effectively, 54 per cent of employers said they are increasing staff training on security issues, to help limit the chances of breaches occurring by internal error.
What's more, a huge 41 per cent of respondents showed their understanding of the pressing matter by saying they will take on more IT security specialists in 2015. This no doubt makes it a good period for those with the right security skills to find an IT job in New Zealand.
John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology added: "We live in an era where information security threats are a real business risk. CIOs are attacking the problem from all sides, but there is a strong emphasis on employee-driven measures.
"Vigilant IT teams and security-savvy individuals throughout the organisation are a valuable and fundamental defence; without both, other courses of action will be less effective."
Cybersecurity professionals may find their skills growing more valuable as companies vie over employees or contractors who can secure their networks. However, this also comes with a caveat: IT professionals may find themselves pushed further than ever before to come up with the solutions to protect enterprise data.
