Opportunities For Cybersecurity Talent in Times of COVID-19

Shortage of cybersecurity talent

Various analyses show that there has been a shortage of cyber security talent at both a national and international level for a long time. In 2018, the Dutch Cyber Security Council sounded the alarm about the imminent shortage of cybersecurity specialists in the Netherlands. Research by Capgemini shows that there is a gap between supply and demand in the cybersecurity labor market. Of the organizations surveyed, 68% are looking for cybersecurity specialists, but less than half of the employees surveyed have the necessary cybersecurity skills. It also appears that at the European level almost three-quarters of organizations do not have a sufficient cybersecurity team, and that there is a shortage of about 140,000 cybersecurity talents.

Impact of Covid-19

The COVID-19 crisis has increased the threat of cybercrime worldwide, further increasing the urgency and impact of this shortage. Digital dependency has increased, for example due to working from home, following online education and online shopping. According to Europol, this has led to a sharp increase in cyberattacks and the development of more complex attacks. Research also shows that 7% of the companies surveyed have experienced a cyberattack specifically related to COVID-19.

In this day and age, the importance of digitization and investing in cybersecurity is only increasing. Figures from Cyberveilig Nederland show that the majority of cybersecurity companies in the Netherlands are still actively looking for qualified personnel to add value to their organization since the Covid-19 outbreak. In addition, at an international level, analyses from the US and the UK show that the COVID-19 outbreak has led to an increase in demand for cyber security talent, with a shortage of nearly half a million cybersecurity specialists in the US.

Opportunities for cybersecurity specialists

With regards to the developments described above and the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis, we are highlighting a number of vacancies aimed at cybersecurity specialists. Apart from the fact that working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, or the National Police may offer cyber security professionals significant chances to develop their career, it also promotes social engagement amongst cyber security professionals.

Civilian Mission Pool - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is constantly looking for specialists in the field of cyber security and / or cybercrime for the civilian mission pool (CMP). The Netherlands contributes to civilian missions organized by the EU, UN, NATO, OSCE and to efforts in the field of Security and Rule of Law by other international organizations. The Netherlands sends experts via the civilian mission pool to contribute to reconstruction processes in conflict and post-conflict areas. Within this pool, there is a great need for cybersecurity experts.

Click here for more information about the Civilian Mission Pool and the recruitment process.

Cyber Reserves - Ministry of Defense

Attacks can come from all sides, including from cyberspace. The Ministry of Defense is therefore committed to the digital security of the Netherlands. As a cyber reservist you can be deployed in military exercises, in tests and investigations, in operations or participate in a military mission. The commitment as a reservist is voluntary. In addition to individual commitment, as a reservist you also work in multidisciplinary teams, in a national and perhaps also in an international context. You work together with colleagues and run exercises. The Ministry of Defense actively works to increase your skills, so that your efforts really make a difference.

Click here for more information about working for the Ministry of Defense as a cyber reservist.

Cyber Volunteers - National Police

Volunteering with the National Police is an addition to your regular job. An inventory conducted in 2017 showed that more than two hundred volunteers working for the National Police have relevant ICT knowledge and expertise. An interest registration showed that a large number of these volunteers were certainly willing to use that knowledge for the police. And so in 2018, the first group of fourteen volunteers was trained, who mainly started working for the Darkweb team and the cybercrime team in Rotterdam.

Click here for more information about working for the National Police as a cyber volunteer.

Interested in more cybersecurity vacancies? Go to https://securitytalent.nl/jobs-internships, and filter on the community “cybersecurity”!