Cybersecurity is the fastest growing tech occupation in the UK – but it’s still not enough to dent the growing industry skills shortage

Cybersecurity has become the fastest growing tech occupation in the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), with the number of roles more than doubling since 2020.

With growth of 128%, this puts it ahead of IT support, which showed growth of 42%, IT trainers at 33% and IT business analysts, architects and systems designers, also at 33%.

However, while rapid growth in the cybersecurity profession should be a cause for celebration, research from Socura warns there’s still a marked shortage of staff, with only one security professional for every 86 UK companies.

“Cybersecurity may be the fastest growing IT occupation in the UK but the skills shortage in the industry remains a concern. Many businesses simply do not have the specialists they need to defend against cyber attacks,” said Andy Kays, CEO at Socura.

“To fix this problem at a national level, we need more initiatives like the NCSC-backed Academic Centres of Excellence and ways to reach even younger people so that they can discover technology in schools.”

While the number of women in the industry is rising – up by 4,600 since 2021 – the percentage has fallen, and now stands at 17%, down from 24%. This, the study noted, is a serious cause for concern.

“Attracting more workers, particularly women, into cyber remains a key challenge for the industry,” commented Dr Kathryn Jones, head of the School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University. 

“However, gender imbalance and the low representation of women is a wider issue in the tech sector, not only cybersecurity. The number of women enrolled on computer science and software engineering courses, for example, is typically also low.”

London is less of a hub for cybersecurity professionals than it is for other IT professionals, the report found, with 17% of cyber workers based in the capital compared with 25% of IT workers overall. Northern Ireland and Wales have the fewest cybersecurity professionals.

Out of 1.8 million IT professionals in the UK, 1.6 million are in England, 127,000 in Scotland, 53,000 in Wales, and 33,000 in Northern Ireland.

Socura puts this down to the rise of remote working, which means that geographic location is less of a factor than it once was for technical occupations like software development and cybersecurity.

Meanwhile, regional accelerators and security hubs also play a role, with Manchester and Liverpool both established as major cybersecurity centers, along with Oxford and the business parks located west of London, such as Reading.

To address the cyber skills gap, three key things need to happen, suggested Dr Yulia Cherdantseva of Cardiff University.

“Firstly, organizations must make their requirements for cybersecurity roles more realistic. An analysis of job adverts shows that organizations often seek skills, knowledge, and certifications that are unlikely to be held by any one individual,” she said.

Similarly, they should also ensure that the salaries they offer are commensurate with the skills and expertise of the roles they are recruiting for.

“Finally, the education and training sectors should make their best effort to design and offer degree programmes and professional training in cyber security in line with industry expectations.”