Find Today’s Best Cybersecurity Experts by Testing Cognitive Aptitude: Introducing CyberGEN.IQ
The Current State of Cybersecurity
The world of cybersecurity has drastically changed over the past year, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, businesses adapted to new challenges, such as remote working, and the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning used to automate security systems.
Cyberattacks are among the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. Experts predict that the number of threats will continue to grow due to an increase in remote working. One main threat is the rise in phishing attacks targeting end-user devices instead of enterprise networks. It’s easier for cybercriminals to hack personal networks due to fewer security defenses in comparison to those larger corporate networks. Over the past year alone, phishing attacks have increased by 30%.
Yet, the biggest cybersecurity threat is ransomware, which is when cybercriminals threaten to publish private data when malware gets installed onto a network or computer unless a ransom is paid. Even in 2021, cyberattackers are still taking advantage of the pandemic by using people’s fears and sending them malicious emails that seem to come from legitimate sources sharing health information related to COVID-19. As a result, businesses have taken a proactive approach in implementing and updating cybersecurity awareness policies.
The estimated annual cost for cybercrime damages across the globe will amount to $6 trillion by the end of the year. Additionally, it is predicted that $1 trillion will be spent globally over the next five years on cybersecurity to prevent attacks and data breaches.
An Indirect Result: The Cybersecurity Employment Gap
These increases in cybercrime have led to a significant employment gap in the cybersecurity field. The gap can be attributed to a lack of training and education with fewer cybersecurity professionals entering the job market. Additionally, professionals who have been in the industry may not meet the requirements needed to handle the changing cybersecurity concerns. However, the silver lining is that it unveils opportunities for people who want to begin a career in cybersecurity. Businesses are changing the requirements needed to obtain a job to focus on skills rather than a degree in cybersecurity.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Information Security Analyst’s Outlook predicts cybersecurity jobs will grow by 31% by 2029. Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand as many organizations struggle to find the right experts, so businesses and institutions are actively working to reduce the cybersecurity workforce shortage and reskill the workforce.
The Importance of Finding the Right Cybersecurity Experts
Cyber IT security is more important than ever as it is needed for all types of organizations. While there are many responsibilities involved when working in cybersecurity, the main goal is to protect companies from being compromised by an attack. However, in addition to data security, cybersecurity professionals are also responsible to help set up private networks and train employees across the company on proper security as remote work increases.
Many organizations have migrated their secure data to the cloud space, but this is an easy target for cybercriminals if that information is not protected. Therefore, skilled cybersecurity professionals are essential in keeping private data secure.
Due to the rise in cyber attacks, cybersecurity experts are in high demand. Estimates show that by the end of 2021, there could be nearly 3.5 million vacant cybersecurity positions. As the dangers of cybersecurity grow more prominent by the minute, it is crucial to bridge the gap in cybersecurity recruiting for both employers and candidates.
While many business leaders see cybersecurity as one-size-fits-all, where every employee should tackle every problem that arises, there are many different roles and levels of expertise needed in cybersecurity. For example, experts in cloud security need to understand privacy laws and compliance regulations, which isn’t necessary knowledge an entry-level cybersecurity employee managing day-to-day operations would have. However, both roles are essential to an organization’s operations, so it is crucial to find the right cybersecurity expert for each available position.
What is CyberGEN.IQ and How Can it Help with Cybersecurity Recruiting and Hiring?
An assessment test for jobs can immediately help organizations expedite the cybersecurity hiring process. Haystack Solutions has developed CyberGEN.IQ, the world’s only non-linguistic-based cybersecurity assessment that tests one’s aptitude and skills.
This cybersecurity assessment, containing a series of 15 tests, focuses on five key cerebral dimensions: critical thinking, deliberate action, real-time action, proactive thinking, and reactive thinking. This test also assesses each individual and reveals their natural aptitude across the following four cognitive domains of cybersecurity:
- Initiating: Creative problem solving
- Responding: Detecting anomalies and monitoring information
- Real-Time: Responding to in-the-moment issues with current information
- Exhaustive: Researching resources before making a decision
One of the main benefits of CyberGEN.IQ is that it can be deployed quickly and effectively for users worldwide, with 97% accuracy in predicting job performance and mapping talent to job roles to help organizations hire the right candidates the first time. By eliminating the change of gender and socioeconomic bias, hiring managers, HR departments, and recruiters can now quickly sort through hundreds of resumes to hire the perfect cybersecurity expert by matching the test scores with matching and vacant job roles.
CyberGEN.IQ for Cyber Professionals and Career-Changers
CyberGEN.IQ is also beneficial for cybersecurity experts looking to make a career change or expand their careers as it helps you fully understand your talents and strengths to help you find the right job or accurately plan cybersecurity training courses to expand your cognitive abilities appropriately (and before spending money on the wrong training path).
Aptitude tests for careers are not a new concept, but CyberGEN.IQ is finally the solution to apply this method to the underserved world of cybersecurity hiring and to efficiently build high-performing teams. The assessment can help companies streamline the hiring process to identify top candidates while optimizing their ROI and saving money in the long run. In addition, CyberGEN.IQ can help close the cyber skills gap and empower cybersecurity professionals to align their career paths with their specific cognitive aptitudes and abilities. Are you interested in experiencing the CyberGEN.IQ assessment?