CyberSecurity

A 2020 report by Cybersecurity Ventures, expects global Cybercrime costs to grow by 15% per year over the next 5 years and to cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 20251, which is up by $3 trillion since 2015. As a result, the world of cybersecurity has experienced a huge cybersecurity talent gap across not only the United States but across the world and closing this gap will be quite impossible for many years to come. With that said, there exists a far greater demand than there is supply of cybersecurity positions across the US resulting in a very low supply of cybersecurity workers. The number of estimated cybersecurity workers employed in cybersecurity-related from October 2019 to September 2020 is approximately 941,904 while the number of online jobs postings for the same time period for cybersecurity-related positions is a whopping 521,617. The astonishing fact is that 117,981 employers with job opening have requested individuals to have a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) but yet there are only 90,334 individuals around the world who even hold that cream of the crop certification. This shows how great the demand is for cybersecurity professionals.2

The demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise along with the rates of attacks and increases in cybersecurity budgets. The imbalance of the amount of skilled cybersecurity workers along with the high demand to fill cybersecurity positions has caused a cybersecurity skills shortage. By 2021, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally. 3 The cybersecurity unemployment rate dropped to 0% in 2016 and has remained there ever since and is not expected to change over the next several years.4

By the Numbers

Cybersecurity is the 10th fastest growing occupation with a growth rate from 2019-2029 of 31% and a 2019 average median pay of $99,730. In fact, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 31 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations, which is only 4%. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high, as these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks5

Forensic computer examiners or digital forensics analysts as they are called by the Bureau of labor Statistics lumps them in with all Forensic Science Technicians and is projected to grow 14 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations and an average pay of $59,150. State and local governments are expected to hire additional forensic science technicians to process their high case loads. Additionally, technological advances are expected to increase the availability, reliability, and usefulness of objective forensic information used as evidence in trials. As a result, forensic science technicians will be able to provide even greater value than before, and more forensic science technicians will be needed to provide timely forensics information to law enforcement agencies and courts.6

The following are just a few of the potential job titles with a degree from Indiana State University Cyber Program:

  • Computer Forensic Analyst
  • Cybercrime Investigator
  • Digital Forensic Examiner/Investigator/Analysts
  • Forensics Technician
  • Video Forensics Examiner
  • Cyber Forensics Scientist
  • Intrusion Detection Analyst/Incident Responder
  • Network Security Analyst
  • Information Security Analysts
  • Cyber Security Engineer
  • Cyber Security Analyst
  • Cyber Security Consultant
  • Cyber Security Manager / Administrator
  • Systems Engineer
  • Network Engineer / Architect
  • Vulnerability Analyst / Penetration Tester
  • Cyber Security Specialist / Technician

 

1 Cybersecurity Ventures https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybercrime-damage-costs-10-trillion-by-2025/
2 Cyber Seek https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html
3 Cybersecurity Ventures
4 Cybersecurity Ventures  https://cybersecurityventures.com/career-news/
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm
6 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/forensic-science-technicians.htm#tab-6