Well, there are movies, and then, there is Gone With the Wind. There are basketball players, and there is Michael Jordan. In other words, there are what we may call the eternal favorites, and then, the passable ones.
Extending the same analogy to IT, there are technologies that come and go, and then, there are technologies that are stable, durable, and perennial. The technology that ranks foremost among the second category should undoubtedly be cybersecurity!
Can one think of any area that is as indispensable to IT as cybersecurity? Companies and products that overlook cybersecurity are like people who spend stupendous amounts of money on an ultra-luxury car, but forget to get the alarm system for it.
Getting the drift of what I want to say in this blog? In plain and simple terms, it is that no IT activity or business is even thinkable without cybersecurity, for the reason that I have just elucidated. Over the next few paragraphs, I will list out the top 5 cybersecurity skills in demand in the future, in the hope that this is going to ease your decision of making a career in cybersecurity.
Even without taking a peek at the top 5 cybersecurity skills in demand in the future, it needs to be emphasized that this is one of those rare areas whose demand is never going to drop.
What gives me the confidence to say this? Well, even as the ongoing COVID-19 has shifted the workplace to home, the demands for cybersecurity has increased, because companies have to ensure a robust security architecture to ensure greater monitoring of remote work.
Moreover, a look at these grim statistics pertaining to cybercrime will give you an understanding of how indispensable cybersecurity is, and will continue to be in the future:
So, without much ado, let us settle down to getting an idea of the top 5 cybersecurity skills in demand in the future:
- Threat intelligence
- Cloud security
- Incident response and handling
- Forensics
- Governance, risk management and compliance
Threat intelligence:
Well, this is the equivalent of a plan for a business. Just like how a plan is the foundation to a business, threat intelligence is the basis to cybersecurity. Threat intelligence is the skill of assessing just where the threat to the IT architecture comes. It is a sharp skill that requires acute analysis, threat perception and mitigation. A threat intelligence person has to be highly analytical and intuitive as well.
Cloud security:
Why is cloud security important to cybersecurity? Simple: because every conceivable application is being moved to the cloud these days. As the dependence on the cloud increases, it is becoming all the more imperative to ensure the security of the valuable data in it. This makes the role of the cloud security professional a pivotal one for cybersecurity.
Incident response and handling:
Incident response and handling is the skill of ensuring that the organization’s IT-related work does not get affected during a cybercrime. This makes incident response and handling a highly valuable skill in cybersecurity. The role of the incident response and handling team is to see to it that it puts a highly effective incident response plan in place. It also investigates the causes for the cybercrime and generates reports on how to handle it in the future and prevent its recurrence.
Forensics:
Forensics, and with it, cyber crime investigation, is a super specialized skill of cybersecurity. Forensics, as we all know, is the application of the science of evidence and criminal procedure to the crime scene. Forensics cybercrime relates to the investigation of the objects relating to IT at the time of an incident.
A forensics expert in cybercrime may have to investigate objects such as mobile phones, discs, computers, and so on. The forensics professional then carries out investigation to search for clues and proofs.
Governance, risk management and compliance:
This area, popularly abbreviated to GRC, is absolutely critical to cybersecurity, because, no organization can do anything that is outside the purview of the law. GRC is the area that aligns cybersecurity to the existing laws and regulatory agencies. This is completely essential because not complying with the law invites legal hassles.
In conclusion, I would say that there is no better time than now to give shape to your career in cybersecurity. Pursue any of these top 5 cybersecurity skills in demand, and the future belongs to the one who ensures that organizations protect their valuable data. Relate your role in cybersecurity to the example of the car key I gave at the beginning.
Please take a few moments off to let us know what you think of this blog. Please let us know if it served your purpose in finding the top 5 cybersecurity skills in demand in the future. We love to hear from you!
