As unemployment claims soar, cyber workforce remains strong
As unemployment claims soar, cyber workforce remains strong
IT Data Solutions
Of the nearly 10 million Americans who recently have filed for unemployment insurance – 6.6 million this week and 3.3 million the week before – as the coronavirus pandemics shut down businesses and the economy, the cybersecurity workforce seemingly has been spared. But experts warned that widespread layoffs in the future could leave organizations vulnerable.
“It will be dangerous if cybersecurity jobs are thought of a luxury, or a component that can be downsized when times get tough,” said Timur Kovalev, chief technology officer at Untangle. “The costs that could be incurred if a data breach occurs, or if systems are taken down because of malware or ransomware could easily put a small- to medium-sized company out of business for months, or forever.”
For companies that remain operational the need to have someone standing guard is even more important, Kovalev said, as criminals go after hospitals with ransomware attacks, targeting those expecting federal financial aid or offering phony retail advertisements via texting to coerce people into clicking.
“Cybersecurity and IT professionals are going to be crucial, essential positions during this time, especially as employee and business leaders are focused on weathering the crisis, and possibly missing the signs of an attack happening to them,” he said.
Chris Morales, head of security analytics at Vectra, noted that much like those manning other frontline positions in the war on COVID-19 he is seeing security staffers working even harder right now.
“Cybersecurity and IT are seeing an upward trend and these staffers are a priority for organizations of all sizes in today’s remote work environment,” he said.
The criticality of cybersecurity teams as well as the shortage of skilled personnel that preceded the pandemic have likely limited layoffs in the field. And the uptick of cybercrime – miscreants not only aren’t letting the coronavirus curb their activities, they’re also leveraging the virus in campaigns and capers – make a strong case for maintaining a strong security team.
“Cybersecurity concerns don’t magically go away during a downturn or recession, so while the job market might tighten up when compared to recent years, it’s likely to be less impacted than many other sectors,” said Tim Erlin, vice president, product management and strategy at Tripwire, adding he has not heard or seen of layoffs taking place yet in the industry.
