As I have professed multiple times in the past, I am a strong believer in informing people about online security threats. While the connected world is an absolutely wonderful thing, and I would like nothing more than to see people across the world having access to the Internet, many seem to forget the dangers that come with such a technology.
Seeing how much the Internet has become embellished in our everyday lives, it is very easy to forget that the technology is still incredibly new. The rapid expansion of the Internet has undoubtedly and irreversibly changed our world and will continue to do so for many years to come.
When it comes to cyber security, however, most people are grossly uninformed, or misinformed. But while the average user still has a long way to go before they even move away from mind-blowing passwords like “123456” (and the funniest/worst offender, “password”), most business have come to understand the need for increased online protection.
The data is also there to prove it. A couple of recent reports by Experis, titled Tech Cities Job Watch and Information Security Talent: The Widening Gap showcase a growing demand for cyber security experts. To be more precise, demand for permanent IT security roles increases by a staggering 52.9 percent since Q4 2015 whereas demand for contractors increased by 15.3 percent during that same period.
In the same reports, and others we have looked at recently, we can also see that cyber security threats are on a definite rise. Any company that is connected to the Internet needs to have some measures of cyber security. There is no getting around this, and there are no excuses to be made.
One might think that such trends are most prevalent for major companies within specific industries, such as the tech sector. However, the truth is that cyber threats are evident across the board and are not unlikely to affect anyone from small businesses to major corporations.
In fact, with more and more businesses taking advantage of online services, and more customers turning into the Internet for all of their shopping and entertainment needs, the commercial landscape will not look the same in a decade.
Because of all that, and because of several implications associated with governmental changes across the pond, 2017 may very well be a key year for cyber security. Last year, we saw a shocking number of high-profile data breaches and leaks. This year, we might finally understand that cyber security should not be an afterthought, but a first step.