Cybersecurity professionals face plenty of challenges in their work – there’s always something new to learn, cyber attackers are relentless and security teams are usually short-staffed. Still, nearly two-thirds of cybersecurity professionals (66%) say they are satisfied with their jobs. But that number jumps to 72% among cybersecurity workers whose employers pay for their certifications, according to the 2019 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. For professionals whose organizations pay for only part or none of their certification costs, the number drops to 63%. This is an important finding for employers who are trying to build their cybersecurity teams. Currently there is a shortage of 4 million cybersecurity professionals, according to our study, so organizations need to make investments not only in

Hospitals are set up to fight infections, but not necessarily the kind that has been plaguing healthcare institutions lately – malware. A new report estimates that cyber threats against healthcare targets increased 60% since January, surpassing the total number of threats identified in all of 2018. The most common threat targeting the healthcare industry is Trojan malware, which increased 82% in the third quarter from Q2, according to the report by Malwarebytes, Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques: The 2019 State of Healthcare. Most of the Trojan attacks involved Emotet and TrickBot, which are the two most dangerous Trojans around since 2018. For now, healthcare is the seventh most targeted industry, according to Malwarebytes, but that may change as a result of

Nearly half of midmarket executives (47%) in a newly released quarterly report cited cybersecurity as their top concern for the coming year. The Middle Market Indicator report, by Chubb and the National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM), shows that cybersecurity topped the list of concerns for the second quarter in row. The concern isn’t surprising. Any executive who pays attention to the cyber threat landscape is bound to feel trepidation about the potential for cyber attacks against their organization. A study published by The Conference Board earlier this year found that cybersecurity is the top business concern for U.S. CEOs. Other studies have revealed similar findings. One inescapable realization from all the research is that cyber fears affect companies

Unlike doctors or engineers, most cybersecurity professionals didn’t set out to work in their chosen field. In fact, more than half started their careers elsewhere and eventually made the move to cybersecurity. But once they make the move, most decide to stay. Nearly two thirds of cybersecurity professionals (65%) intend to stay in the field until they retire, thanks to high demand for their skills and the challenging nature of the work, according to the (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, 2019. The desire to stay indicates most are finding fulfillment in the field, even if working in cybersecurity wasn’t their original plan. Regardless of their beginnings, a solid majority (84%) say they are where they expected to be in their careers,

Gender diversity in the cybersecurity industry is a key issue as we seek to create a larger, more representative, balanced and welcoming industry for all. As the (ISC)2 2019 Cybersecurity Workforce Study revealed, a global shortage of more than four million trained cybersecurity professionals exists, and women represent just 30% of the current workforce, meaning recruitment and advancement of women is a strategic imperative to limiting, if not closing, the gap. A separate report by (ISC)2 published earlier this year highlighted the surge of women into senior roles, but confirmed that there remains much more work to do to both in achieving true diversity in the sector and in making a career in cybersecurity equally appealing for men and women