ITWales.com

Information security professionals 'in demand'

Regulations and concerns about risk are driving demand for skilled information security professionals, according to a new report by the IT security standards body (ISC), to be published next week.

Computer Weekly reports that the study suggests the number of information security professionals working around the world will increase from 1.6 million in 2008 to 2.7 million by 2012.

Speaking to the website, John Colley, managing director of ISC for Europe, said that security professionals are also being paid more for their skills, particularly those with extra qualifications.

"The average salary of an information security worker is £37,000 a year, but with a certificate, this jumps to £47,000 a year," he explained.

Mr Colley added that demand for certified infosec professionals had increased since the passing of the payment card industry's data security standard regulations, which make businesses liable for customer details collected through payments.

Meanwhile a study conducted by Infosecurity Europe has revealed that women are much more likely than men to give their computer passwords to other people. It indicated that 45 per cent of women would give their password to a stranger for a chocolate bar, compared to ten per cent of men.

The survey was conducted in preparation for Information Security Awareness Week, a new initiative being promoted by the Information Security Awareness Forum.

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