Demand for IT security experts growing

With more and more companies storing and communicating data online and allowing their workers to use their own devices for work, vulnerability to cyber security has become a reality for many employers.

Recently the South African Police Service Web site was targeted by a hack attack that saw the names and personal details of some 16 000 whistle-blowers and victims of crime being mined and made publicly available via a bulletproof site.

It is, therefore, no surprise that the annual Symantec Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) released in May revealed that targeted attacks last year grew an astonishing 42% over the previous year.

"The sophistication of attacks, coupled with today's IT complexities such as virtualization, mobility, and cloud, require organizations to remain proactive and use 'defense-in-depth' security measures to stay ahead of attacks," says Gordon Love, Symantec's regional director for Africa.

Cyber-attacks generally come in two varieties: state-sponsored intellectual capital theft and strikes against critical digital infrastructure, such as power grids and banking systems.

Both kinds are being carried out thousands of times a day. No one knows the precise cost; some experts put the dollar figure in the billions and others say it could reach hundreds of billions or more.

According to Basie von Solms, research professor at the University of Johannesburg's (UJ's) Academy for Computer Science and Software Engineering (ACSSE), South Africa does not have enough experts in cyber security, and the red lights are already flashing. The major defense against cyber-attacks relies on knowledgeable cyber security experts who can be proactive to help to prevent such attacks.

IT professionals that are looking to fulfill the demand for security experts should be willing to demonstrate not only their technical expertise but also their ideas for policies that will govern the way employees use devices and safeguard the companies' data.

Everything is in flux with the move to the cloud and mobile devices. It's no longer about managing firewalls for IT security. It's beyond that. It's about how to protect the information in the enterprise in an environment that includes cloud applications and tablets.

As a result, we are seeing an increase in demand for security specialists not just in Europe and the USA but in South Africa, which includes consultants, analysts, and systems engineers. If you are looking for a new position in the IT security field, we can assist.

Communicate Recruitment is a specialist IT recruitment company and has various vacancies in the IT security field that includes positions for Security Engineers, Security Architects, and more. Contact us today and let us assist you in taking the next step in your career.

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