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Rapidly growing cybersecurity skills for 2021 and beyond

Rapidly growing cybersecurity skills

Jan 13 2021

Cloud computing commands the biggest paycheck, followed by application development security, compared to other IT skills.

IT professionals having expertise in app development security, cloud computing, and risk management will have the most job opportunities in a present-day scenario and beyond, according to a new analysis of jobs data. Also, the report from Atlas VPN found that cloud expertise can command the best salary.

On the other hand, if we are talking about the next big thing in the world of cybersecurity in 2021, the application development security, according to the skills report. The demand for this expertise will rise 164% in five years, as predicted by Atlas VPN.

Security professionals having cloud expertise are also in high demand, according to the report. AtlasVPN stated that the need for cloud security experts will increase 115% over the next five years. For Cloud architects, system engineers, developers, cybersecurity engineers, and security consultants this skill has become essential.

Risk management is another in-demand cybersecurity skillset with demand forecast to increase by 60% in the next five years.

Cloud expertise is the clear winner among other skill sets:

Cloud security: $15,025
Application development security: $12,266
Risk management: $13,379

The complete top 10 list is:

Application development security
Cloud security
Risk management
Threat intelligence
Incident response
Compliance and controls
Data privacy and security
Access management
Security strategy and governance
Health information security

The report notes that health information security skills are relevant well beyond the IT department. People working in areas such as health insurance sales, medical records, and healthcare administration need a basic understanding of cybersecurity priorities and regulations.

The report from Burning Glass Technologies upon which the Atlas VPN analysis is based, analyzed a database of more than 1 billion job records, to calculate five-year growth projections for cybersecurity skills.

As companies are extending their 2020 remote work plans well into the new year, this trend also increases the demand for cybersecurity skills.

A 2020 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey found that 35% of organizations named cybersecurity experts as the top hiring priority. The latest example of a cyber-attack being The SolarWinds attack on the US government with serious implications.

Companies need security specialists to protect their corporate data and to shield them against the ongoing hazard of cyberattacks. The COVID-19 vaccine distribution process is a leading target for criminals along with the phishing and disinformation campaigns that have surrounded the pandemic for almost a year.