UK CIOs warned of increased cyber attacks due to IT security skills shortage

The threat posed by the IT skills gap is posing a risk to corporate security due to a lack of talent available to help fight cyber attacks.

The majority of CIOs (77%) believe that they are due to face more security threats in the next five years due to a shortage of IT security talent, according to a report by Robert Half Technology.

The report called 'Cybersecurity – protecting your future', found that the top three risks that UK CIOs believe they are facing in the next five years will be data abuse/data integrity (60%), cybercrime (54%), and spying/spyware/ransomware (39%).

Due to the threat being posed to businesses more than a third (34%) of UK CIOs are planning to increase headcount. The positions that are most in demand are IT Security Analyst (junior level), Information Security Officer (mid-level), and Security Operations Officer (mid-level).

The appeal of having experts available is expected to grow, with 27% of UK CIOs saying they will increase the number of contract IT security professionals in the next 12 months.

This desire to hire talented staff comes as result of the number of global security threats increasing by 38% in 2015, resulting in a 56% increase in the theft of hard intellectual property over 2014, according to PwC research.

With an increased threat posed to businesses it is unsurprising that more trained staff is required. Staff with skills in cloud security (51%), IT security technologies (47%), and big data analytics (37%), are the most in demand, however, these are also amongst the most challenging to find.

Cloud security (32%), IT security technologies (29%), and security architecture (26%) are the most difficult for CIOs to find. 

Neil Owen, Director, Robert Half Technology commented: “The prominence of cyber breaches has lifted the demand for cybersecurity experts as cyber risk becomes a company-wide point of discussion.

“An insufficient number of new specialists entering the IT market has forced organisations to consider effective retention programmes, training existing staff, partnering with educational institutions and developing flexible hiring policies that include both permanent and contract specialists. A dynamic IT strategy that brings together the right fit of technology and people is the cornerstone for companies protecting their future.”

The research is based on more than 100 interviews with CIOs and CTOs from companies across the UK.