What are the Most Popular Skills Needed in IT Security?

This article was updated 16^th December 2020.

Having the most in-demand skills is a crucial way of ensuring that you stay employable by the top brands in your sector. For businesses, securing the best talent can keep you ahead of the competition, which means if you're a candidate with these desirable skills, you can often negotiate an attractive salary.

However, for a sector that is changing and evolving as quickly as IT, it can be difficult to identify what skills will be the most valuable to companies over the next 12 months. This is because what was on the edge of innovation and the peak of security in one year may not last and this change often involves acquiring new talent to stay current.

Security has been a hot topic for a while, and one that is quickly developing and evolving, so securing candidates with the most up-to-date skills is crucial. In the current climate, where brands are so invested in their online security, having a specialist can protect them from threats to both their bottom line and their reputation.

Here are some of the skills that are expected to be among the highest in demand for IT security professionals:

Software Development

Having IT security specialists that are confident in software development can take your business to the next level. In the next 12 months, hiring requirements are expected to grow within both security and software development. This highlights the benefits of cross discipline IT professionals, who are able to bring knowledge of multiple core functions to their day-to-day work. Even if they are not a developer themselves, a good understanding of it will help IT security professionals create a safe working environment and provide security for any future applications.

Cloud security

As more businesses use the cloud to store their information, and that of their clients, security will be a prominent issue. For many companies, a lack of trust around the security of cloud has made them reluctant to adopt it. However, these businesses may see their hand forced out of a fear of being left behind so hiring in-house specialists in cloud security could be the solution. With giants like PwC recruiting proactively to offset the risks of each type of technology, it’s fair to assume that other smaller enterprises will follow suit.

Big Data

As the demands of storing and analysing Big Data increase in the coming years, so too will the necessity of keeping it secure. Many businesses are now focusing on how information can help them improve their offering, but the top priority with this is safeguarding any sensitive data a company may store. Whether from employees or clients, no business wants to be the victim of a data breach, and security specialists will be key in helping with this.