Four Years Since Fatima: An Analysis of UK Cyber Employment Trends
New ONS analysis by Socura reveals that cybersecurity is now the fastest growing IT occupation in the UK. However, with just one security professional for every 86 businesses, a large skill gap remains. Women also remain vastly underrepresented across the industry.
UK Employment Trends Since Fatima
‘Their next job was in cyber’ was a UK government campaign to encourage more people to choose a career in cybersecurity. However, the infamous ‘Fatima’ ballerina ad that formed part of the initiative sparked a furore on social media and was heavily criticised.
Four years since the ad first appeared (and promptly disappeared), Socura has conducted an analysis of Office of National Statistics (ONS) Employment data to identify how many people have since decided to pursue a new career in cyber. In particular, we were keen to understand the extent of the current skills gaps in the industry.
Source: HM Government, 2020
Cyber Is The Fastest Growing IT Occupation
Our analysis reveals that the number of cybersecurity professionals in the UK more than doubled between Dec 2021 (28,500) and March 2024 (65,000), an increase of 128%. The level of this increase means that cybersecurity is now the fastest growing IT occupation, exceeding roles in software development, networking and IT support.
The number of cybersecurity professionals in the UK increased 128% between December 2021 and March 2024.
Talent Shortages Remain Widespread
Despite an encouraging increase in the total number of cybersecurity professionals, demand continues to outstrip supply. Worryingly, for every 86 companies, there is just one security pro – a situation that desperately needs to be addressed if the UK is to be considered one of the safest places to live and do business. For context, there are nearly 10 times more software programmers in the UK today than cybersecurity pros.
Unfortunately, there is also an increasing gender divide. While there are 4,600 more females in cybersecurity roles today compared to December 2021, the percentage of women compared to men has decreased in this same period, from 24% to 17%.
There is one cybersecurity professionals in the UK for every 86 companies.
Download The Report For More Insights
Download the full copy of our ‘Their Next Job Was in Cyber’ report. Understand where the hot spots are for cybersecurity professionals in the UK and learn why partnering with a Managed Detection and Response provider is an excellent option for organisations struggling to recruit and retain talent.
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