The 5 Most Valuable Cybersecurity Jobs to Hire, Plus Salaries

As businesses become increasingly reliant on digital technologies, hiring qualified professionals to maintain cybersecurity is becoming an integral component of a successful business strategy.

With the numerous roles available in the field, it can be hard to determine which ones are most important for a company’s security and success.

This is why it has become imperative to explore the most valuable cybersecurity roles to hire, taking into account both technical skills and the importance of personnel for any organization’s cyber defense.

Top 5 cybersecurity jobs to hire

The most in-demand and valuable cybersecurity roles to hire for this year and beyond include cybersecurity engineers, risk managers, and threat intelligence analysts.

1. Cybersecurity Engineer
2. Application Security Engineer
3. Risk Manager
4. Network Security Administrator
5. Threat Intelligence Analyst

1. Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity Engineers are the backbone of defense against cyber threats.

They get directly behind the code to identify any vulnerabilities and what patches they can make to minimize performance issues or cybersecurity risks.

These are the individuals that protect your business from open-source software hacks.

The average salary for an experienced Cybersecurity Engineer ranges from $116,000 to $208,000.

2. Application Security Engineer

Application development security skills are projected to grow by 164% over the next five years, emphasizing the increased demand from employers for this skill set.

Hiring these experts now will save you the increased spending you’ll face later as their rates increase to keep pace with demand. For now, the average salary range for this cybersecurity role is $146,000 to $177,000.

3. Risk Manager

Engineers are crucial, but the importance of skilled Risk Managers can’t be overstated.

These individuals are what will prevent your company from incurring a $9.44 million data breach, which makes their average salary of $110,000 to $190,000 a minimal investment that will provide significant ROI. 

4. Network Security Administrator

The increasing reliance on comprehensive networks for various business needs, especially given the current remote workforce environment, means this is one of the most valuable cybersecurity roles for any enterprise organization.

The average salary for this role ranges between $71,000 to $135,000. 

5. Threat Intelligence Analyst

Along with Risk Managers, Threat Intelligence Analysts are instrumental in protecting your organization and identifying new types of vulnerabilities or threats.

Expect to offer a salary range for this role between $120,000 and $185,000 depending on experience. 

Why is cybersecurity important?

Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important in today’s digital world because of its ties to the remote workforce, data breach cost savings, and the ability to mitigate risks.

Cybersecurity in the remote workforce

There’s a reason 91% of organizations are increasing cybersecurity budgets.

The global shift to a remote workforce in 2020 exposed new types of vulnerabilities that hackers were quick to exploit, made evident by the 358% increase in malware attacks and a 435% increase in ransomware attacks.

Cybersecurity saves on data breach costs

Aside from that, the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. ballooned to an estimated $9.44 million, according to IBM Security’s “The Cost of a Data Breach Report.” 

If you think your enterprise organization is protected from the rise in cyber threats after making additional investments in the past, think again.

Almost 80% of senior IT and IT security leaders believe their organizations lack sufficient protection against cyberattacks despite increased IT security investments made in response to the new challenges presented by a fully remote workforce, according to a new IDG Research Services survey. 

Cybersecurity helps to mitigate cyberattacks

When it comes to protecting the most valuable assets at your enterprise, it’s critical to have a fully built-out team of the most valuable cybersecurity roles who are equipped to analyze, identify, prevent, and mitigate security threats. 

“The question is not whether or not you’re going to be hacked, but are you ready? Are you going to be able to very quickly make decisions about what to do next,” Heather Adkins, Google’s Information Security Manager, told audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt SF.

Top Cybersecurity threats

While there are countless cybersecurity threats, most of them can be categorized by the fact that cyberattacks are inevitable, ransomware attacks are on the rise, and hackers are stealing proprietary code.

Cyberattacks are inevitable

According to Adkins, the likelihood of enterprise companies becoming cyberattack victims is not just high, it’s inevitable.

This has been made abundantly clear for healthcare organizations as 90% have reported at least one security breach in the last three years. 

Ransomware attacks are on the rise

Alarm bells have been raised about increasing attacks on U.S. infrastructure for years but we witnessed what happens when that threat becomes real with the 2021 Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.

Contrary to some expectations, the goal of the criminal extortion ring was not to impact the economy but instead—as is often the case—to hold the corporate data for ransom.

Not only did the cyberattack cost Colonial Pipeline $5 million in ransom payments to recover the hacked data, but decrypting that data and turning the pipeline back on resulted in the extension of the fuel insecurity that spread rapidly on the East Coast after news of the attack. 

Hackers steal proprietary code

In June of 2021, Electronic Arts (EA)—one of the largest video game publishers—had source code used in the game engine that powers titles like FIFA and Madden stolen by hackers.

Peloton, Volkswagen, and McDonald’s also suffered data breaches during the same month, showing just how common and effective cybersecurity attacks are against major enterprise organizations despite their significant cybersecurity investments.

Investing in cybersecurity

Although cyberattacks are becoming increasingly inevitable for organizations of all sizes, it doesn’t mean you have to remain defenseless.

Hire the most valuable cybersecurity roles today to mitigate the impact on your bottom line, brand reputation, and sensitive data when the next hacker targets your business. 

If you’re looking to hire specialized cybersecurity consultants or full-time experts, contact Mondo today. We’ll match you with proven cybersecurity experts you won’t find on job boards.

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