In 2021, it was reported that there were around 3 million cyber security positions not filled. Could YOU be one of the skilled cyber professionals of the future, filling this skills gap?
The UK Government (DCMS) reported on cyber security skills gaps in 2020, and found that around 7 in 10 cyber sector businesses had tried to recruit someone in a cyber role within the last 3 years. These employers reported over one-third of their vacancies as being hard to fill.
Cyber security graduates earn a salary of around £35,000 a year, and in the South East, the average advertised salary for an experienced cyber security role is around £60,000, and some specialist, highly skilled roles pay £150,000+!
There are so many cyber security roles – a mix of technical and non-technical. Not all require you to be a code ninja… the majority suit excellent problem solvers and communicators rather than specific cyber skill. Lots of roles are around strategy, incident response, consulting and management – there’s a role which would fit almost everyone.
Currently, Inspired Careers lists over 80 cyber security roles. To find out more about the wide range of jobs available in the industry, and the skills required for each, check out their page. Indeed.com also have a useful page: What are cyber security roles? If you search on any jobsite for “cyber security”, you will soon see the number and variety of roles available for yourself!
Other sites with a wealth of information about cyber security roles that we think are worth a look are:
- Cyber security careers (ukcybersecuritycouncil.org.uk) – useful general information about pathways within the 16 specialisms in cyber security
- Cybersecurity Career Pathway (cyberseek.org) – a USA-based site, but very useful to show career paths in cyber
Spotlight on…
Each quarter, we will put a spotlight on two different careers in the cyber security industry, looking at job roles, skills required, training routes in and salaries.
This quarter, we are looking at Digital Forensics Investigators and Information Security Managers.
Previous roles we have highlighted include Penetration Testers and Cyber Security Analysts. Check back again soon for our next update!
Digital Forensics Investigator
- Digital Forensics Investigators gather evidence found on computers, mobile phones, and other digital devices, much like a forensic investigator captures evidence from the scene of a crime. The retrieved data can then be used in criminal investigations or as evidence in cases of cyber crimes.
- Required to collaborate with law enforcement, as well as legal, compliance, and HR teams
- Ensure chain of custody of digital evidence and write technical reports to document case findings
- Most work within the law enforcement industry, whether directly for law enforcement or for private firms hired by agencies to manage digital evidence. It’s also possible to work as a forensic analyst for a private company.
- Starting Salary £21-£25,000
- Typical Salary £30-£45,000
- Often, Digital Forensics Investigators will have a background in IT, but must have a solid working knowledge of ISO 17025
- Routes in include degrees, apprenticeships and industry qualification
- Read more at Prospects
- Read more at Inspired Careers
Information Security Manager
- An information security manager takes responsibility for overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security in a business
- Develop and maintain the information security policy and accompanying standards, procedures and guidance
- It is a management-level role responsible for information security from both a regulatory and business development perspective
- Ensure that information can flow across the business easily and securely
- Assess risk to systems and data based on knowledge of threats, vulnerabilities and potential impact on business functions
- They work either for a specific company or on a consultancy basis
- Typical Salary £65-£85,000+
- Familiarity with ISO 27001 required
- Prior experience with cyber security, particularly information security, required
- Related degree and/or industry qualifications required
- Read more at Randstad
- Read more at Inspired Careers
Jobs in the Computer Games Industry
There are also lots of available careers in the computer games industry. Roles encompass the creative arts including idea generation, storyboard creation and graphical design to the physical coding and development of the game engine. As gaming has moved online there is also a massive industry around the technology and infrastructure required to support that and the cyber security of games and gaming platforms.
Read more about these kinds of jobs at Prospects:
The UK has a number of top-level Computer Games companies developing many of the latest releases. Some simple online searches can connect you with apprenticeships and internships with these companies.