Millennials: Meet the next generation of cybersecurity

Millennials, the name given to the demographic cohort born between 1980 and 2000, are members of what is now the largest living generation. As they mature into 20 and 30-something professionals, they are taking over the helm from their parents across all sectors.
But with a predicted shortage of 1.8 million workers within information security by 2022, the gaping employment gap means the influx of a millennial workforce will be critical — and may well reshape the industry.
According to Stephen Cobb, a senior security researcher at ESET, the cybersecurity skills gap is the result of surging demand thanks to rising cybercrime, as well as a lack of, among newbie tech professionals, the historical enthusiasm of previous generations to maintain and secure existing systems.
Cobb wrote recently: “A lot of experienced security professionals are reaching retirement age, while many of today’s students find the potential rewards of building tomorrow’s technology more appealing than the task of securing yesterday’s.”
However, with headline-grabbing cyberattacks such as WannaCryptor, which went global last month, the importance of information security could not be higher on the agenda. Meaning there can only be increased emphasis on and interest in finding the best solutions to stem the disruption.
Into the vacuum left by retiring baby boomers will step “the most diverse group of information security workers” ever, according to a recent study from the Center for Cybersafety and Education (CCE).
Which is important, as research repeatedly shows that diverse workplaces outperform non-diverse alternatives, and it appears that information security is heading that way. According to the CCE, 78 percent of baby boomers in the industry identified as being Caucasian. For millennials it is only 65 percent.
Further, an influx of young blood may help rebalance the gender skew. As of 2015, women held only one in 10 computer security positions. “As women make up more than half the population, and almost half of the current workforce, this means that our industry could be failing to reach skilled professionals who may not even be aware of the possibility of a career in computer security,” wrote ESET researcher Lysa Myers.

Source: Arab News