Course in cyber security to try to ‘bridge skills gap’
AFTER the ransomware attack on the HSE and Department of Health, IT Sligo has highlighted its course in cyber security and the importance of robust cyber security for any organisation.
The hacking of the HSE has been described as “possibly the most significant cybercrime attack on the Irish State” and a spokesperson for the college said that it illustrates how cyber attacks don’t just knock out websites but can lead to major logistical problems as experienced in hospitals throughout the country, including Sligo University Hospital.
A data breach can cost companies millions and in recent years the number of attacks have dramatically increased.
There is currently a severe shortage of cyber security professionals globally and nationally and IT Sligo launched its course to meet these demands.
The cyber security eco-system has evolved and grown at an exponential rate over the last number of years and is a critical aspect for all sectors of our economy.
Cyber security doesn’t just affect ‘technology’ companies however. All companies now need to be in compliance with a range of security legal aspects as well as every sector now facing the risk of a cyber security breach – from healthcare, power grids and telecoms to retail.
This has been further enhanced due to the increasing dependency of digital technology during a health pandemic. The cost of a data breach can end up being enormous, with both direct expenses and indirect expenses. IBM has stated that the global average cost of a data breach is $3.86 million. The largest data breach to-date had 3 billion account records compromised and in the hands of the attacker. These records contained sensitive data about individuals.
The Cyber Ireland North-West chapter has been established to bring together industry professionals, academics and local government representatives in order to represent the needs of the cyber security sector in the North West of Ireland.
The aim is to enhance the innovation, growth and competitiveness of all companies and organisations working in cyber security in the North West region.
IT Sligo says it is committed to bridging this skills gap by building security into their modules from the ground up. The computing courses all have security elements to the modules, to ensure graduates have an understanding of cyber security.
The college says that qualification in cyber security can lead to an exciting and varied career in an array of industries and career options.
Cyber security is such a vast sector that graduates can move around the different career options to find one best suited.
Eoin Byrne, Cyber Ireland, said that graduate salaries in the main fall into two salary ranges: 31% of respondents hire graduates for cyber security roles between €25k and €35k, while a further 31% pay salaries between €35k and €45k. 15% of organisations pay graduate salaries over €45k. These attractive salaries should attract top students into the cyber security field. Paul Brady, director of enterprise information security with Optum Ireland, said that as society becomes more dependent on technology, the impact of a cyber attack will be much greater than just financial or reputational.
“There is a global shortage of qualified cyber security professionals and we need people who have a passion for technology and lifelong learning to help deliver cyber security solutions. Cyber security is a diverse and growing industry which offers great opportunities and a huge variety of careers.”
Internationally there is a severe shortage of cyber security professionals and Cyber Ireland estimate a global shortfall of between 1.8 and 3.5 million security professionals within five years. This skills shortage is impacting organisations of all sizes across a wide range of sectors.
Eoin Byrne (Cyber Ireland) added that Ireland’s cyber security sector had seen expansion and over 60% of their members plan to hire for cyber security roles in 2021, of which 50% will hire new graduates.
“However, Cyber Ireland’s Skills Report 2021 found a severe shortage in cyber security professionals and skills gaps, which are impacting companies of all sizes across diverse sectors. There is a need for a collaborative approach at the national level to ensure we are developing home-grown cyber security talent.
“There is a need to increase the number of course places available in skill shortage areas with the most in-demand training for cloud-enabled security, incident response and regulatory compliance.”
To find out more about the Level 7 CAO 137 Bachelor of Science in Computer Networks and Cyber Security contact the college.