Cyber crime is a threat to almost every business and organization in the world. With the number of breaches increasing year on year, and high-profile attacks hitting the headlines, IT professionals with skills and experience in cyber security are like gold dust. The growing threat of cyber crime has prompted businesses to take measures to secure systems and networks, but it has also exposed a major shortage of employees with the skills needed to keep cyber crime at bay.
The fascinating infographic below highlights the impact of cyber crime and the risks faced by modern-day organizations. In 2013, the identities of over 552 million people were exposed, and 1 in 8 websites were found to have critical vulnerabilities.
The cost of cyber attacks rose by 26% between 2012 and 2013, with the average incident costing $11.6 million. While the financial implications are clear to see, for 83% of organizations, reputation is the main concern.
Cyber crime has become one of the most significant threats for businesses, but as the infographic shows, most still aren’t prepared for an attack. One of the most common problems organizations face is a shortage of skilled workers. Over 70% feel that a lack of employees with cyber security skills had either a ‘great’ or ‘very great’ impact on their business.
The meteoric rise of cyber crime has contributed to an explosion in opportunities for IT professionals who do have expertise in cyber security. The number of vacancies has grown at a rate that is 67% higher than for all jobs, and this area is expanding faster than any other sector of the IT field. Over 40% of organizations are trying to fill gaps in information security and the US is looking to train more than 5,000 cyber security professionals.
Infographic Created By Norwich University
