Demand for cyber security professionals grew by almost 70% between 2012 and 2015 – 40% higher than the overall growth rate for IT professionals. This is according to the latest Professional Recruitment Trends report from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

Cyber security positions well remunerated

The insight, based on data from Burning Glass, also indicated that cyber security positions offer higher levels of remuneration than those in other IT roles. On average cyber security jobs advertise salaries of around £48,000, a premium of £12,000 p.a compared to IT salaries overall.

Geographical distribution analysis shows that the highest number of positions are available in London, where there were 25,300 job advertised in 2015. The capital was followed by Reading & Bracknell and Manchester, which saw the number of advertised positions reach 2,400 and 2,000 respectively. A large number of major firms are headquartered in London or Reading & Bracknell, resulting in a high concentration of jobs in these areas.

Increased awareness of cyber breach costs

“Organisations of all sizes are developing an increased awareness of the implications of a cyber security breach, so it’s no surprise that business leaders across the country are looking to expand their cyber security functions,” Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo said.

New cyber risks are developing at an alarming rate and with recent research from the Ponemon Institute indicating that the average cost the average total cost of a data breach over the past two years is US$3.79 million, investment into digital security measures are a becoming a key priority for many businesses.

“This steep upward trend is one that will undoubtedly continue into the coming months, as organisations explore new options to protect against data breaches and expand or establish a cyber security function,” Swain added.

Edited from press release by Cecilia Rehn.