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Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Jobs in Canada

By Abby Lombardi on March 4, 2013 in Canadian Employment.

A couple of weeks ago, we covered hiring demand for cyber security jobs in the US. With the increase in threats and hacking attempts, we thought it would be interesting to see if this this skill was in demand in Canada, as well. In the past 120 days, there have been about 100 jobs posted online that include cyber security specifications. The cities with the highest demand are Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Regina.

The industries with the most demand were:

  1. Offices of Certified Public Accountants
  2. Hydroelectric Power generation
  3. Human Resources Consulting Services
  4. Legislative Bodies
  5. Computer Systems Design Services

The job titles that most commonly require cyber security skills are:

  • Information Security Risk Manager
  • Infrastructure Specialist
  • Project Manager
  • Cyber Security Analyst
  • Technical Resources Technologist Team Lead

Other skills most commonly required in cyber security related jobs are project management, UNIX, Linux, business strategy, and risk management.

Are you sourcing for cyber security professionals in Canada? Find out how in-demand they are in your local province or city with a free trial of WANTED Analytics!

Already an Analytics user in Canada? Just log in, search for "cyber security" in the keyword filter, and add any additional requirements (like location, skills, or certifications.) Don't forget that you can also generate a Talent Sourcing Report to share with HR teams and partners!

10 Best Cities to Recruit Cyber Security Professionals

By Abby Lombardi on February 13, 2013 in Computer/Math/IT.

Public and private organizations are expanding their cyber security workforce. The Pentagon recently announced they will add 4,000 new cyber security jobs to their existing staff of about 900, growing by more than 340%. Hundreds of private organizations have also announced similar plans to increase their workforce over the next year. If you are recruiting for cyber security professionals, you are likely finding these jobs hard-to-fill and experiencing significant competition to attract talent. Unfortunately, it's not likely to get any easier as more and more organizations look to hire from this limited talent pool. To give you a competitive advantage and to help you fill jobs faster, we wanted to provide you with the 10 cities that are currently experiencing the best conditions for sourcing this talent.

Difficulty-to-Fill for Cyber Security Jobs in the United States

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals in the United States

Source: WANTED Analytics

Above is a map of major metropolitan areas and Hiring Scales, which depict the estimated difficulty-to-fill for cyber security jobs. On average, our cyber security jobs score a 76 on our Hiring Scale, out of a possible 99 where 99 would represent the hardest-to-fill. Also, we are able to see that the average posting period of a cyber security job ad is 6 weeks. This doesn't necessarily mean that jobs take 6 weeks to fill, simply that job ads for this talent stay online for this amount of time. Positions may take longer than this to fill depending on interview and offer processes.

The 10 cities with the best average recruiting conditions are:

  1. Toledo, OH
  2. Tucson, AZ
  3. Killeen-Fort Hood, TX
  4. Duluth, MN
  5. Syracuse, NY
  6. Springfield, MA
  7. Reno, NV
  8. Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
  9. Birmingham, AL
  10. Orlando, FL

In the above 10 cities, there are only a few job ads posted online. Yet, there are enough potential candidates working in cyber security to support the local hiring demand without feeling unnecessary strains. In addition, the average posting period is even with or less than the national average. However, conditions still range significantly in these cities. For example, the Hiring Scale in Toledo is a 17. This city is currently experiencing the best conditions in the US. However, the city ranked in the 10th spot, Orlando, has a Hiring Scale score of 57. Although it's much higher than Toledo, it's still better than the national average.

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals in Orlando, FL

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals in Orlando, FL

Source: WANTED Analytics

By sourcing potential candidates in the above 10 cities, you may be able to fill jobs faster due to less competition and having more candidates to source from. If relocating a new employee isn't an option for your company, look to surrounding cities where you might be able to find talent easier. For example, Washington, DC is likely to see growing difficulties. But, cities like Harrisburg and Philadelphia (PA) and Newport (VA) may be options for Recruiters. These 3 cities have Hiring Scale scores lower than the national average and may be close enough to find potential candidates.

Is your company hiring for cyber security professionals? Get a free trial of WANTED Analytics to see what local hiring conditions look like.

Already an Analytics user? Log in, enter your occupation, location, enter "cyber security" in the keyword filter and add any other requirements (location, skills, certifications, occupations, etc).

Report of Hacking Attempts Brings More Hiring for Cyber Security Professionals

By Abby Lombardi on October 10, 2012 in Computer/Math/IT.

There have been many reports recently of cyber security threats and breaches in the US. The latest attacks were seen in the financial services sector, as well as on government systems. We thought it would be interesting to revisit hiring for cyber security jobs to see if demand is increasing again as the number of attacks also increase. In September, more than 4,500 jobs were advertised online for cyber security professionals in the US, a 19% increase compared to the same time period last year. With security threats and breaches becoming a greater concern for both private and public sector companies, it isn't surprising that hiring demand is growing for this skill set. In fact, a new high in the number of available job ads was reached in July with 5,100 open positions.

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Positions in the US – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Positions in the US

Source: WANTED Analytics

The most commonly advertised job titles that require cyber security skills are below. Not surprisingly, these are IT related positions.

  1. Cyber Security Analyst
  2. Cyber Security Engineer
  3. Software Engineer
  4. Systems Engineer
  5. Senior Cyber Security Analyst
  6. Information Technology Security Specialist
  7. Program Manager
  8. Information Security Analyst
  9. Information Assurance Engineer
  10. Systems Administrator

The metropolitan areas with the highest volume of listings in September were Washington (DC), Baltimore, New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Washington, DC saw the most available positions; however, Atlanta experienced the greatest growth in demand over the past year of these five areas. In Atlanta, hiring demand was up 200% in September compared to the same month last year.

Seeing as cyber security is a niche IT skill and demand is growing in general, you would probably expect these to be relatively difficult to recruit for. The Hiring Scale confirms that these jobs will be hard-to-fill, with ads staying online for an average of 6 weeks across the US. As more employers focus on securing information and networks and external threats evolve, hiring demand for cyber security jobs is likely to continue. Currently, the supply of potential candidates with this experience creates a very challenging market for employers.

Hiring Scales for Cyber Security Positions Across the US

Hiring Scales for Cyber Security Positions Across the US

Source: WANTED Analytics

However, each location and region of the US will experience a varying degree of difficulty when recruiting. Companies in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC are currently experiencing some of the most challenging overall recruiting conditions. Fierce competition has emerged as hiring in these areas is growing more quickly than the local talent supply can support. Job ads in this area remain online for an average of 7 weeks. In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that Tucson, Arizona and Kileen-Fort Hood, Texas are likely to see the least difficulty in recruiting for these positions. A larger talent supply compared to the hiring demand by employers in these 2 areas means that Recruiters are likely to fill open cyber security positions faster than average. The average duration of a job ad in these locations is 5 weeks, about one week shorter than the national average.

To see how hiring demand for cyber security jobs compares in your area, try our free online Hiring Scale! Just tell us where your position is located and we'll show you average salary data, who you are competing with for talent, and where to find candidates in your area.

Already an Analytics user? Log in to get this information and more! Enter "cyber security" as a keyword and add any other job requirements.

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Jobs Still Growing

By Abby Lombardi on June 11, 2012 in Computer/Math/IT.

After recent online security breaches, cyber security is a hot topic again. Since it's been a while that we looked at this, we thought it would be interesting to review recent job listing for cyber security positions, the skills demanded in these jobs, and how hard-to-recruit they are likely to be. In May, over 9,800 online job listings were available for cyber security related jobs. Despite hiring demand being rather flat in 2012 so far, this is an 11% increase over the same time period last year.

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Professionals – 4 Year US Hiring Trend

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Professionals

Source: WANTED Analytics

It's not too surprising that most of the hiring demand is for computer and technical occupations. The 5 most commonly advertised job titles for cyber security positions are:

  1. Cyber Security Analyst
  2. Cyber Security Engineer
  3. Software Engineer
  4. Systems Engineer
  5. Senior Cyber Security Analyst

The most in-demand skills that Recruiters are looking for in potential candidates, other than cyber security, are listed below. Most are computer programming skills, again this isn't too surprising since the commonly advertised jobs are all technical.

  1. Linux
  2. Information assurance
  3. Firewall
  4. UNIX
  5. Risk management
  6. Oracle Java
  7. Project management
  8. Software development
  9. Microsoft Office
  10. Program management

With increasing demand, these jobs are likely to be fairly difficult-to-fill. In areas that these jobs are highly demanded, Recruiters are likely to see even more challenges.. The majority of the jobs were located in Washington, DC and Baltimore metro areas. In these locations, it is likely to be more difficult and take longer than average to source enough candidates to meet the hiring demand by employers. Nationwide, the average posting period of a cyber security job ads is 6 weeks. However, in Baltimore and Washington, DC, the average posting period is 7 weeks – one full week longer than across the US.

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals – Washington, DC

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security professionals - Washington, DC

Source: WANTED Analytics

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals – Baltimore, MD

Hiring Scale for Cyber Security Professionals - Baltimore, MD

Source: WANTED Analytics

Are you recruiting for cyber security professionals? Find out if these jobs are hard-to-fill in your area, average salary information, who you are competing with for talent, and where to find candidates with the free online Hiring Scale!

Cyber Security Concerns Increase Hiring for Computer Security Specialists

By Abby Lombardi on April 25, 2012 in Computer/Math/IT.

Concerns over data and network security have grown in both the private and public sectors. Businesses and the government are being affected by hackers, cyber security, and discussions of legislation. With the buzz about cyber security, it may not be too surprising that hiring demand for Computer Security Specialists reached a new all-time high during March 2012, when more than 5,500 jobs were advertised online. This is a 32% increase in hiring demand compared to the same month last year. More than 1,600 organizations posted job ads for this talent.

Hiring Demand for Computer Security Specialists – 4 Year Trend

Hiring Demand for Computer Security Specialists

Source: WANTED Analytics

The five metropolitan areas with the highest volume of job ads for Computer Security Specialists during March were Washington (DC), New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Baltimore. All five of these areas have seen year-over-year growth in hiring demand for this talent. Despite the highest volume of ads being placed in the Washington, DC metro area, Dallas actually saw the highest year-over-year growth in demand. Recruiters in Dallas posted more than twice the volume of ads in March 2012 than were listed online in March 2011.

The most commonly required hard skills that potential candidates should have knowledge or experience of are:

  1. Firewall
  2. Information assurance
  3. UNIX
  4. Linux
  5. Cyber security
  6. Intrusion prevention system (IPS)
  7. Network routers
  8. Penetration testing
  9. Microsoft Office
  10. Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Nationwide, companies sourcing candidates for computer security jobs are likely to find them hard-to-recruit, with varying degrees of difficulty in each location depending on the available talent supply. Our Hiring Scale™ shows that companies in Washington, DC are currently experiencing some of the greatest difficulties when recruiting candidates with these skills. Demand in the Washington area remains the highest in the United States, while the local talent pool of qualified professionals does not meet the needs of employers. Recruiters in this area are likely to compete heavily to attract talent and experience a longer time-to-fill than many other areas across the United States.

Hiring Scale for Computer Security Specialists in Washington, DC

Hiring Scale for Computer Security Specialists in Washington, DC

Source: WANTED Analytics

In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that the best places to recruit computer security skills are currently College Station (Texas), Eau Claire (Wisconsin), and Mobile (Alabama). These areas are likely to fill job openings faster than the rest of the United States. Job ads in these areas are posted for an average of 5.5 weeks, one and a half weeks shorter than in Washington, DC.

Are you hiring Computer Security Specialists? Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics to find out how hiring demand compares in your city, average salary range information, what common skills or certifications are recruited most often, and where you can find talent pools.

Hiring for Privacy Analysts Takes Off As Consumer Security Concerns Increase

By Abby Lombardi on February 28, 2012 in Computer/Math/IT, Occupations.

Privacy concerns have been growing – from online and social media usage information to consumer data – and we were interested in how many companies are creating and hiring for jobs that deal with protecting privacy. During the past 90 days, we found just over 400 job ads that were posted online for Privacy Officers and Consultants. Overall, the volume of job ads over the past 90 days increased 56% compared to the same 90-day period last year and about 115% versus two years ago. It seems that hiring demand for specialized job functions that identify risks, monitor the flow of information, and comply with developing regulations has increased significantly, now at its highest levels.

Hiring Demand for Privacy Analysts – 4 Year Hiring Trend

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We weren’t too surprised that the majority of job listings were seen for technology positions, since Privacy Analysts are responsible for controlling the flow of information – often online. Approximately one-quarter of the jobs advertised online were for Computer Security Specialists, the most of any occupational field, at a 50% year-over-year increase. Other fields with a high-demand for experience with privacy control were medical and health services managers, financial examiners, and legal positions, all of which also experienced year-over-year increases in the volume of online job ads. It makes sense that these occupations include this job responsibility since they handle customer information, that is often of personal nature, and need to ensure compliance with any regulations around that information.

The most commonly advertised job titles that included this responsibility in their job description are:

  • Security Privacy Consultant (or Analyst)
  • Privacy Officer
  • Customer Privacy Manager
  • Compliance Privacy Manager
  • Health Systems Privacy Compliance Specialist
  • Senior Manager Global Privacy Capabilities Operations
  • Counsel Privacy
  • Compliance Privacy Director (or Officer)
  • FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Privacy Act Specialist
  • Health Information Manager Privacy Officer

Metropolitan areas with the highest volume of job listings for Privacy Specialists were New York (New York), Seattle (Washington), Washington (DC), Chicago (Illinois), and San Francisco (California). Employers in Seattle experienced one of the highest year-over-year increases in demand, up 250% from last year. Washington, DC was one of the few locations across the United States to see a decline in hiring, down about 48% in the past 90 days compared to the same time period last year.

Companies sourcing candidates with privacy control experience are likely to find openings difficult-to-recruit. According to the Hiring Scale™, companies in Chicago are currently experiencing more difficult conditions when recruiting candidates with this skill set. Hiring demand in Chicago continues to grow (up about 170% in the past year), while the local talent pool of qualified professionals is not growing at the same pace. Employers in this area are likely to compete heavily to attract qualified talent and experience a longer time-to-fill than other areas across the United States. The average duration of a Privacy Analyst or Specialist job ad in Chicago is one week longer than the national average.

Hiring Scale for Privacy Specialists in Chicago, IL vs. Nationally

chicago

In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that the best markets for recruiting these skills are Miami (Florida), Los Angeles (California), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). These areas are likely to fill job openings faster than the rest of the United States, since hiring demand is low compared to the available talent supply.

Best US Markets for Recruiting Privacy Specialists

alt locations

Is your company sourcing for Privacy Analysts, Consultants, or Specialists? Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics™ to see what hiring demand is like in your city, who you are competing with for talent, and where the best markets for sourcing this talent are in your region.

After Increased Web Threats, Cyber Security Hiring Grows Slowly

By Abby Lombardi on February 7, 2012 in Information Technology - XLK, Occupations.

Over the past year, there have been an increased number of high-profile corporate website hackings and cyber threats. After banks, online retailers, and energy and telecom companies have been breached, we wanted to look at hiring for cyber security skills to see if demand has increased.

During 2011, hiring demand for cyber security skills grew 12% compared to in 2010. From October through December of 2011, there were about 6,400 job ads for these skills – just 2% more than were placed online during the last 3 months of 2010. The chart below shows hiring demand over the past 4 years for cyber security skills – it's been growing slowly and steadily over the past years, despite a slowing in hiring in the last quarter of 2011. Considering there have been a number of website hackings that resulted in outside parties accessing private customer information, do you think hiring for cyber security skills will pick up in 2012?

Hiring Demand for Cyber Security Skills in the US – 4 Year Hiring Trend

Hiring Trend for Cyber Security Skills

Source: WANTED Analytics

Some of the occupations that are most commonly required to have cyber security skills are tech positions. Other jobs commonly required to have these skills include Intelligence Analystst, Operations Analysts, and Business Development professionals. Below are 10 of the most commonly advertised job titles that include requirements for cyber security skills.

  1. Cyber Security Analyst (or Specialist)
  2. Cyber Security Engineers
  3. Software Engineer
  4. Systems Engineer
  5. Security Specialist (or Analyst)
  6. Information Assurance Officer (or Analyst)
  7. Network Engineer
  8. Systems Administrator
  9. Cyber Intel Analyst
  10. Cyber Threat Analyst

Below are the 10 industries with the highest volume of job ads during the last 3 months of 2011. Hiring was seen mostly by various computer design and programming services industries. We were surprised that retail and banking industries weren't on this list – in fact, they didn't even make the top 30 industries.

10 Industries with the Most Job Ads for Cyber Security Skills

Industries with most hiring demand for cyber security skills

Source: WANTED Analytics

With decreased hiring demand across the US, will jobs that require cyber security skills be easier-to-fill? Our Hiring Scale™ shows that these jobs are moderately difficult-to-recruit on average. If demand begins to increase in 2012, we would expect these jobs to become more difficult. Currently, Recruiters in Charleston, South Carolina are experiencing one of the more difficult conditions when recruiting candidates with security skills. This metro area has seen some of the highest demand for cyber security skills over the last 3 months of 2011. While demand more than doubled in this time period compared to 2010, the local talent pool did not grow at the same pace. The Candidate Supply charts estimate there are about 400 potential candidates in this area. With such a small talent pool, Recruiters are likely to compete heavily to attract candidates for their job opening.

Candidate Supply of Cyber Security Skills in Charleston, SC

candidate supply of cyber security skills in Charleston

Source: WANTED Analytics

Employers in this area are likely to compete heavily to attract talent and experience a longer time-to-fill than most other areas. The average duration of an online job posting in Charleston with cyber security skills is 7 weeks, one week longer than the national average.

Are you recruiting for job openings that require cyber security knowledge or experience? Find out how hard-to-fill these jobs will be in your area, who you are competing with for talent, and average salary ranges with the free, online Hiring Scale™.

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