Cyber security skills shortage is hampering Internet of Things development

According to the latest Experis Industry Insiders report, which examines how the growth of IoT is impacting the cyber security jobs market, The cyber security skills shortage is hampering Internet of Things development.

The emergence of IoT as an asset that needs to secured is driving employers to think differently about their business and workforce strategies.

The IoT era

Gartner predicts that 25 billion connected things will be in use by 2021. This presents a huge opportunity for businesses to harness data, optimise their operations and deliver more relevant experiences to users.

But, there’s always a but… this new technology also opens up more vulnerabilities to potential cyber threats, because they are insecure by design. The report says that to succeed, businesses need to be able to capitalise on the promise of IoT without exposing themselves to dangers, and that all starts with talent and skills.

It’s also critical to have security built into these IoT devices in the design stage — that way, they are less vulnerable to cyber attacks and less likely to be taken over in malicious botnets.

Cyber security skills shortage

The latest Experis Industry Insiders report shows that there were 13,214 cyber security roles advertised in Q4 2018 — up 10% year-on-year and 16.6% from the previous quarter.

Average cyber security salaries dipped 2% year-on-year to £58,557 (a surprising figure, perhaps), while contractor day rates soared by 19.6% during the same period, to £505. So, the report reveals that while demand for cyber security professionals continues to rise, businesses are prioritising short terms fixes via contractors, over long-term solutions to their talent needs.

Cyber security and IoT

IoT is currently a much smaller jobs market, but the demand for these roles also rose 48.8% to 4,968 in Q4 2018 — from 3,338 in the previous quarter.

Both permanent salaries and contractor day rates also increased year-on-year as well, by 1.5% and 4% respectively.

The demand for IoT technology skills is building, and could be set to soar, alongside the business demand for the technology, over the next few years. With the cyber security market already stretched, businesses will need to consider creative solutions to both skill sets if they are to harness the power of IoT technology securely.