By Lakshmi Mittra, VP and Head – Clover Academy

‘Digital transformation’ was gaining a lot of traction since the last few years. However, there was huge inertia with respect to its adoption as companies did not want to challenge or change the status quo. Who would want to upset the apple cart? However, the world had plans of its own and the pandemic brought about a disruption. A disruption that compelled companies to reimagine business models, operations, and technology. There was an unprecedented surge in adoption of cloud, modernization of applications, enablement of remote work etc.

The IT teams had to adapt to managing very complex environments and hybrid workplace. They also had to include personal devices and unfamiliar networks in their vigilance ambit. While it might have been a dampener for most businesses, the pandemic gave a huge fillip to cybersecurity. Companies had to create cybersecurity teams, hire CISOs, ensure management of data, access to devices and systems etc., and create and implement a clear roadmap to safeguard data and systems amidst a new operating model.

Many companies went about downsizing operations and workforce. However, anyone with expertise in cybersecurity did not face challenges. There is no unemployment as far as cybersecurity professionals are concerned. It explains the dearth of such professionals and the fact that the demand may be considerably exceeding supply.

As per a report by Insurance Broker Howden, the average cost of remediation for ransomware alone is around USD 2 million. Companies have realized that it is better to prevent and protect themselves against a cyberattack than to remediate and resolve it.

5 most in-demand cyber security jobs

1.       Encryption Specialists: Encryption Specialists enable seamless and secure communication through a network such as the internet. They will use encryption codes, which allow the sender to securely send the information over a network. The intended recipient can receive it and use a decryption key to understand the message. These measures ensure that the information is not adulterated or compromised while in transit across the network.

2.       Cybersecurity Project Manager: If a professional is a specialist in focused areas of cybersecurity such as Identity and Access Management (IAM) and had garnered immense experience in managing projects, they could become cybersecurity project managers. Such professionals are responsible for supervising the development and implementation of security systems by working closely with analysts and the management team and enabling the execution of the cybersecurity roadmap to safeguard the organization’s data, systems, and access points.

3.       Information Security Analyst: Information security analysts create strategies that enable the organization to prevent a cyberattack. They make sure that the cybersecurity policies are being followed by the organization. They are constantly vigilant and monitor the systems and network to detect threats and resolve it by themselves or with the support of extended teams.

4.       Penetration Tester: Penetration testers perform various tests on the systems of a company to identify vulnerabilities that can be exploited by a hacker or a cybercriminal. Their efforts enable the internal security teams to make their cyber defence more robust by addressing the identified vulnerabilities.

5.       Cloud Security Architects/ Engineers: Cloud Security Architects create and design the security around the cloud usage of an enterprise. They ensure that the data stored in the cloud, access to the cloud etc. are safeguarded. Cloud security architects are extremely analytical and love designing intelligent programs that can mitigate risks and manage threats to the organization’s presence on the cloud.

A cloud security engineer on the other hand, is responsible for building and maintaining cloud networks and systems. They are responsible for ensuring secure operations across the SaaS, PaaS and IaaS presence of the company and are also responsible for ensuring secure storage and access of data on the cloud.