Founded in 1988, F-Secure delivers holistic portfolio of cyber security solutions that cater to organization's cyber security needs. The organization leverages its human expertise to continuously improve technology in order to comprehensively predict, prevent, detect and respond to threats.

As the world continues to rush towards its digital future, wide-ranging digital technologies are continuing to be a part of our day-to-day lifestyles. A majority of these technologies are constantly at play without us even realising their presence or the role that they are playing in our tasks. Now, as you might already know, this burgeoning multi-layered digital infrastructure has innumerable vulnerabilities. Such vulnerabilities are hunted down and exploited by cyberattackers.

So, with our ever-increasing digital infrastructure, there is a cumulatively increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals who can aptly deal with this modern-day challenge. This is enhancing the scope of a successful career within the cyber security industry in India and abroad. If you are an aspiring cybersecurity professional, here are some a few points that you can help you out:

i.Talent Gap: According to a study, the global cybersecurity talent gap has already neared the 3-million mark (2.93 million). In the Asia-Pacific region alone, there is a shortage of 2.14 million cybersecurity professionals. This gap is expected to widen further over the coming years as our workplaces get more digitized and cyberattacks evolve dynamically. In India, initiatives such as Smart Cities Mission and Digital India are creating more opportunities for cybersecurity professionals. The upcoming Data Protection Bill is further going to catalyse the ongoing trend.

ii.Better Prospects:It is not only the number of vacancies that make a cybersecurity career

attractive, the sector is apparently also more lucrative. Cybersecurity professionals are generally better off as compared to their IT industry counterparts. To give you a picture, cybersecurity engineers with more than three years of experience can make up to Rs. 25lakh a year. In sharp contrast, software developers with about five years of experience(even working with a multinational firm) may only earn around Rs. 10 lakh per annum.

iii. Intriguing Challenges: There is simply no space for boredom within the cybersecurity industry as it is full of intriguing challenges and rare experiences. For instance, you can become an infosecurity crime investigator or forensics expert and get a first-hand experience of how it feels like to be the digital Sherlock Holmes(hunting for clues in the digital space). If you’ve watched Mr. Robot and enjoyed the series, you can also walk in the shoes of Elliot by becoming a security consultant or an advisor, guide, and an allround security guru.

"With Our Ever-Increasing Digital Infrastructure, There Is A Cumulatively Increasing Demand For Cybersecurity Professionals WhoCan Aptly Deal With This Modern-Day Challenge"

Rather, if you are interested in developing your skillset, you can dive into analytics, DevSecOps, and specialized functions such as access management, riskauditing, intrusion detection, network security, and network security. Other emerging skills include Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain.

iv.Cross Migration: The cybersecurity sector is witnessing another trend that is making it promising for freshers and non cybersecurity professionals alike. Given the immense skill gap, more people are continuing to migrate to the cybersecurity industry in a hunt for better opportunities. This includes the IT professionals who have considerable experience in other projects, languages, and frameworks.

You don’t need to have prior cybersecurity experience to join the domain, however, you must have the relevant certifications before you make the move. Several cybersecurity players have collaborated with educational institutes and developed specialized courses according to today’s cybersecurity needs. These courses are available online and will help you in seamlessly switching over. For example, F-Secure is now in its third year of running a free online Cyber Security Base course in partnership with the University of Helsinki.

v.Hotspots:The biggest demand for cyber-security professionals in India has been coming from the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. Information Technology-enabled Services(ITeS) also strongly con¬tribute to the overall demand close on heels with software product (non-security) or shared services. Cybersecurity firms control around 9% to 10 percent of the overall demand . You must check which subsegment is more favourable for your overall career growth and develop the skills pertaining to that subsegment.

Cybersecurity career comes with its own mix of interesting opportunities and challenges. If you have a problem-solving attitude, an eye for detail, the ability to learn (and unlearn as well), and can think outside the box when needed, you are surely meant for the cybersecurity industry as it will help you to carve a career with global prominence. Just keep the factors mentioned above in mind and leave no stone unturned in training yourself.