What Skills do you Need to Work in Cyber Security?: A Look at the Australian Market

The demand for cyber security professionals is rising as the incidence of cyber crime and security breaches increases, leading to suggestions of a skills shortage in the technology industry. While supply and demand are factors in the recruitment process for any position, in order to secure the best people in the security field we need to know what skills are required to be a security professional in the current cyber security environment. This paper seeks to explore this question by looking at the current state of the Australian Industry. Recent job listings in the cyber security area were analysed, and current security professionals in industry were asked for their opinion as to what skills were required in this profession. It was found that each security professional role has its own set of skill requirements, however there is significant overlap between the roles for many soft skills, including analysis, consulting and process skills, leadership, and relationship management. Both communication and presentation skills were valued. A set of "hard" skills emerged as common across all categories: experience, qualifications and certifications, and technical expertise. These appear to represent the need for a firm background in the security area as represented by formal study and industry certifications, and supported by solid experience in the industry. Specific technical skills are also required, although the exact nature of these will vary according to the requirements of each role.