As the country has wrestled this spring and summer with unemployment rates the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Great Depression, information security professionals have not been immune from the major disruptions in the workforce.
Even as the need for information security services has grown, especially in sectors such as healthcare, government and financial services, the ability of many organizations to fund these key positions has taken a decided hit, with many budgets flat or even reduced.
Regardless which industry a security professional may work in, the stakes have gotten higher for experience, skills, personal traits and attitude. Like all job roles that haven’t been cut back or cut entirely, those working in a full-time job must bring real value to the position as all organizations struggle to position themselves for growth.
“Finding people with a range of specific tools or technical experience is easy compared to finding people who know how to translate what they know into mission enablement in an organization,” stresses Paul Rivers, chief information security officer at Yale University. “Technical prowess and detailed arcane infosec knowledge is not enough. People who have a track record of understanding how to deliver solutions to hard problems that advance organizational objectives will always be in high demand.”
Gloss