By Business & Finance 
Associate Director IT at Next Generation Jennifer Brennan offers an insight into the growing issue of cyber security and how firms can attract top professionals to protect their businesses.
There is not a person out there who does not lock up their house or their business to protect it and its valuables from criminals getting in.
So why then do people and businesses not take cyber security seriously? There is no denying that the world is experiencing a cyber security pandemic. Recently I attended a talk by PwC on cyber security where some of the examples and statistics were a little scary to say the least.
Jennifer Brennan
Cybercrime is now more lucrative than illegal drugs and it’s a much easier crime to stay hidden from. According to the FBI there are now only two types of companies in the world: those that have been breached and those that just don’t know yet.
A big trend at the moment is the ever-evolving malware, ransomware and phishing emails. Companies are under relentless pressure to ensure they have the right infrastructure, technology, and IT security staff to be on top of this on a daily basis.
The CISO 2017 Annual Security report said the top constraints to adopting security products and solutions are budget 35%, product capability 28%, certification 25% and talent 25%.
STAFF TRAINING
So, what can you do to help protect your business? Technology is advancing and there are numerous solutions and specialised vendors available so ensure to utilise these. According to the CISO 2017 Annual Security Report most companies use more than five security vendors and more than five security products in their offices.
If you are a business owner, you need to meet with your IT security staff and understand what is happening and ask if all the right things are in place to protect your business.
Hiring the right IT staff, keeping them upskilled and also keeping the rest of the business aware of potential threats is imperative for keeping your company and data safe.
GROWING INDUSTRY
Reporting breaches should be at the forefront of your mind. Some businesses don’t want to report or share their experience as they fear it will have negative PR for the business, however, the only way to beat the criminals is by working together to keep on top of them.
Companies are under relentless pressure to ensure they have the right infrastructure, technology, and IT security staff to be on top of this on a daily basis
In addition, train internal staff outside of IT in basic cyber protection, such as not clicking links and flagging anything unusual to the IT department.
Cyber security professionals are in high demand. With cyber criminals getting more and more sophisticated, it’s an area of recruitment that we expect to grow in the coming 12-24 months.
The war for talent in this area is relentless – sometimes it is not all about the compensation package, as there are other factors to consider in talent attraction.
