GDPR, cyber threats drive demand for security experts

Chennai: As companies seek to bolster their defence against data security breaches, the demand for security experts in India has outstripped supply. Organizations are in search for security and privacy professionals even as the deadline for adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union looms close (May 25th).

HR companies confirm that while there has been an upswing in job postings in the past year, they haven’t witnessed a corresponding rise in job applicants. According to data with staffing firm Indeed, job postings (by companies) between February 2017 and February 2018 grew at 36% where as searches for jobs grew just 8% indicating a supply demand mismatch. “Cyber security is an area of growing importance across sectors, and it is crucial that we have a skilled resource pool to serve in the field,” said Sashi Kumar, MD, Indeed India.

According to data with outbound hiring company Belong, currently, there are 10,000-15,000 open jobs related to cybersecurity across tech and non-tech roles in India. Growth in demand for cyber security professionals is three times higher than growth in supply, said Rishabh Kaul, cofounder, Belong. For companies across industries, finding skilled cyber security professionals remains a struggle. Warner Jude Gonsalvez, associate director, talent acquisition at IT services major Cognizant Technology Solutions says enterprise risk & security services is one of the most sought after skill in the tech market currently. “Any industry which aspires to have a digital footprint will need to invest well in this space to ensure cyber security is addressed. With GDPR coming in organizations will have to invest in ensuring that they comply with the stringent Data Protection Acts laid out, further increasing the demand for this skill.”

In a bid to mitigate risks, companies are focusing on upskilling their employees. For instance, QTek Systems, a division of Quess Corp has introduced OEM trainings and certifications in the area.

“There is a lack of talent in certain areas such as cyber security. We have been upskilling our team members specifically in particular products related to Information Security and Cloud through trainings and certifications to ensure superior delivery to customers,” said Anand Ramakrishnan, CEO- QTek Systems.

E-learning company Simplilearn has seen a 120% spike in their learner base for cyber security courses with over 20,000 professionals enrolling for cyber security related courses in the last one year. “Cyber security has become one of the fastest growing job domain, with companies addressing a huge skill gap,” said Kashyap Dalal, cofounder and chief business officer, Simplilearn.

Dalal adds that the company is witnessing demand for courses like Ethical Hacking and Security+ amongst the 22 to 30 age bracket, which help professionals start their career in Cyber security. “We also see a lot of demand for courses like CISSP and CISA amongst the 27-40 age bracket, which are more requirements for getting into senior roles in this area,” he added.