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The Economics of Cybercrime and Security

The Cybersecurity Jobs Gap

Why there is a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, what the jobs involve and pay, and how India could supply more talent.

There aren’t enough cybersecurity professionals to go around.

The gap

Industry surveys estimate a global shortage of millions of cybersecurity workers.

Jobs

  • Security analysts monitoring systems.
  • Penetration testers simulating attacks.
  • Incident responders.
  • Security engineers and architects.
  • Governance and compliance specialists.

Pay

Shortages push wages up; experienced professionals command high salaries in India and abroad.

Why the shortage

  • Rapid growth in digital systems.
  • Specialised skills that take years to build.
  • Burnout from stressful work.

India’s opportunity

  • Large pool of IT graduates.
  • Security operations centres serving global clients.
  • Certifications and courses.

Automation

AI tools help analysts handle alerts, but attackers also use AI, so demand for skilled humans remains.

The security operations centre

In Bengaluru, analysts in a security operations centre monitor networks of clients around the world, working in shifts to respond to threats around the clock.

Thinking cybersecurity is only for programmers

It includes analysts, testers, responders and compliance experts.

Key takeaways
  • There's a global shortage of millions of security workers.
  • Roles range from analysts to compliance specialists.
  • Shortages push wages up.
  • India's IT talent offers an opportunity.
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