UK Cyber Vacancies Growing 12% Per Year

UK cybersecurity job vacancies are growing at a rate of 10-12% per year, with hiring teams struggling to find the right candidates to fill open positions.

The analysis by recruitment firm Robert Walters revealed there are around 17,000 live cybersecurity vacancies at any one time currently.

It also projects UK vacancies to continue growing at the same rate over the coming years, further exacerbating the well-publicized cybersecurity workforce gap.

Ajay Hayre, Principal Consultant, Cybersecurity at Robert Walters, told Infosecurity: “Given the limited pool of suitably skilled candidates, hiring teams are struggling to find the right individuals to fill open positions.”

He added that companies are increasingly relying on headhunting and referrals to hire these individuals.

Robert Walters noted that cybersecurity has consistently ranked in the top five in-demand skills across professional services for several years.

“As cybersecurity threats become increasingly sophisticated and substantial in scale, the need for cybersecurity specialists has intensified across all sectors. This rapid evolution means that professionals often struggle to keep pace with necessary skill advancements,” the firm wrote.

According to the analysis, the most in-demand roles within cybersecurity currently are:

• Cloud security engineers
• Security operations center (SOC) analysts
• Penetration testers and ethical hackers
• Cyber risk and compliance specialists
• AI and threat intelligence analysts

Hayre revealed that cybersecurity roles within operational technology are some of the most difficult for firms to source talent for.

Read now: How UK Firms Can Transform Cybersecurity Recruitment and Retention

Retail Expected to Expand Cyber Recruitment

Robert Walters said it expects the retail industry to expand cybersecurity recruitment this year following the high-profile attacks on UK retailers this week – Marks & Spencer (M&S), Co-op and Harrods.

The sector currently has the fifth highest number of cybersecurity vacancies in the UK, at around 1700. This makes up 10% of the total.

In first place is finance and banking with 3400 vacancies (20%), public sector and defense at 3060 vacancies (18%), technology and digital services at 2720 vacancies (16%) and healthcare and life sciences at 2040 vacancies (2040).

“Many retailers rank among the top employers of cybersecurity talent and consistently allocate substantial resources towards enhancing their security systems. However, following these high-profile attacks, we anticipate that budgets will be stretched even further this year,” commented Phill Brown, Global Head of Market Intelligence at Robert Walters.

“This latest situation serves as a cautionary tale for all businesses. By hiring the right professionals and consistently investing in their upskilling from the beginning, companies can better protect themselves against ever-evolving cyber threats,” he added.

Barriers to Cybersecurity Recruitment

Hayre noted that in the current marketplace, firms need to offer big salaries to attract skilled cybersecurity professionals.

“While salaries have now settled from the post-covid boom. Cybersecurity roles still need to be highly appealing, either through the nature of the role itself or an attractive remuneration package, to attract the right professionals,” he commented.

However, Hayre acknowledged that ongoing global economic volatility and high living costs are constraining many companies’ hiring budgets.

Another area organizations should look to address is the duration of their hiring processes.

“Prolonged decision-making periods, even for difficult or complex hires, often lead to hiring processes falling through,” noted Hayre.

Join an Infosecurity Magazine webinar on May 19, which will explore the cybersecurity recruitment challenges.

An expert panel will discuss how organizations can change their hiring practices to attract a greater pool of talent, and offer advice for job seekers, particularly those looking for their first role in cybersecurity.

Sign up here to secure your place.