Cyber Security - a Growing Threat, a Growing Career Opportunity:

Cyber Security, in addition to being a large and growing field, is an indicator of economic health and the evolving nature of how business is being conducted globally. Cyber security professionals are critical custodians in the fortification of networked operations and informational assets. Growth in this profession is evidence to the need for their capabilities and also a signal that global economic activity is progressing.

Furthermore, modifications in information technology (IT) and evolving IT norms on how, when, and where business operations occur—such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Cloud Computing, and Social Media—remind us that Cyber security professionals must be highly adaptable in learning and applying new skills, tools, technologies and procedures in order to manage a dynamic range of threats and risks. Not to be overlooked, hackers, attackers, and other threatening entities are also progressing and evolving. Change and intricacy in IT and IT norms represent new opportunities for them to succeed in their nefarious pursuits.

Consequently, Cyber security professionals have no downtime; there are always new risk management challenges to address.

Some notable findings according to the (ISC)2 - Booz Allen Hamilton - Frost & Sullivan worldwide survey of information security professionals 2013 are: 

o  Information security is a stable and growing profession. Information security professionals are very stable in their employment; more than 80 % had no change in employer or employment in the past year, and the number of professionals is projected to continuously grow more than 11 % annually over the next five years.

o Certification of knowledge drives salaries higher. The salary gap between certified cyber security professionals and non-certified professionals is widening. Information security professionals in US have average salaries of US $ 80,000. In India, a beginner can expect a pay package up to Rs. 6 lakhs per annum. Professionals with higher academic qualifications and work experience can draw up to Rs. 30 lakhs. Salaries are at least 20-30% higher than for most other positions at the same level in other fields of IT. Typically, salaries get doubled within 2 years due to huge demand of skilled manpower in this sector.

o Even with past annual growth in the double-digits, workforce shortages persist. The impact of shortage is the greatest on the existing workforce. India alone needs at least 5 lakh cyber security professionals by the year 2015.

o Knowledge and certification of knowledge weigh heavily in job placement and advancement. Broad understanding of the security field was the #1 factor in contributing to career success; followed by communication skills.

o Information security professionals trump products in securing infrastructure effectiveness.  

In a ranking of importance in securing infrastructure, software and hardware solutions rank behind the effectiveness of Cyber security professionals. The professional discipline of Cyber security is complex and requires continuous investment in knowledge, procedures, and technologies. For those who wish to choose a career in information security, it is a rewarding profession both intellectually and financially. And while skill and knowledge building must never slow down; attackers, hackers, and other Cyber threat actors certainly will not. Future information security professionals must translate their acquired risk management expertise into organization-wide leadership to avert hacking and Cyber-crimes which are ever evolving and are on a continuous rise, threatening individual privacies, corporate resources, government secrets, the operation of national infrastructures, security of financial institutions, and much, much more.