Information security professionals have clearly felt the
impact the economic downturn has had on the industry,writes Raj Samani, vice-president of communications
atISSA's UK
Chapter.
According to the 2009 Barclay Simpson market report on
information security, "Demand for information security staff
noticeably declined in the second half of 2008, for the first time
in some years". The feeling of job insecurity is equally warranted
as "there is now a pool of redundant security practitioners".
Without wishing to sound too pessimistic, "looking ahead, there is
unlikely to be any upturn in the market in the near term".
The report did provide useful advice for those recently made
redundant: "If you find yourself in this situation or simply fear
the threat of redundancy, the more proactive you are, the better.
Focusing on how you can improve your marketability - perhaps doing
things such as completing a professional qualification and
developing relationships within the industry."
Information security certifications are certainly useful in
further careers. According to the 2006 (ISC)² Global Information
Security Workforce Study, hiring managers are looking for
candidates with certifications, with 85% of respondents with
information security responsibility identifying certifications as
somewhat or very important to the candidate evaluation process.
Not only is the security professional tasked with ensuring their
skills are better than their colleagues, or other job applicants,
but their position is also threatened from providers offering
insource/outsource services. Clearly certifications can demonstrate
a measurable difference between candidates, but where particular
qualifications are seen as merely a baseline, inevitably a greater
differential is required.
Security professionals must now see themselves in the eyes of
their hiring/line managers. A hiring manager will invariably use
Google, or social networking sites to research their candidates.
What do these tools convey about your profile and reputation? Even
with a burgeoning online profile and impressive reputation to
match, you will still always be at a disadvantage to applicants
that already know or are known by the hiring manager through
industry events, or have spoken and impressed at such events.
Regardless of the economic climate, enhancing contacts and your
profile should be seen as a way of improving job security and
enhancing the career. Writing papers/articles, and public speaking
may be seen as daunting, or time intensive but not only brings
great satisfaction but can also bring reward at a time when you
really need it.
Read more expert advice from the Computer Weekly Security Think
Tank >>