Key Traits Employers Seek from Information Security Professionals

The onslaught of technological advancements means businesses around the globe—be it governments, financial institutions, manufacturing units or technology firms—are seeking  proactive and sturdy security practices in the digital landscape. Data is everywhere and used by millions of customers online, so organizations must recruit highly skilled cybersecurity experts who can play an overwhelming and vital role in keeping their security margins up to the mark.

Every employer faces the tough task of hiring information security professionals, as they need to look beyond the standard required knowledge. They need to find skillful security professionals who are familiar with recent cyberattacks as well as the latest tools and technologies. Nowadays, employers are more keen on hiring prospective candidates who have a flair for learning new technologies and who can implement the right technology within the internal network and systems efficiently. The demand for such security experts is high; therefore, employers, more than ever, must judge which key traits and skills they seek while recruiting budding security aspirants for security expert roles.

The Qualifications

Let’s explore some of the major traits that such security experts should possess:

Educational Degree/Eligibility

Most employers require candidates hold the basic educational degree or certification in information security, such as the popular CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) Certification. This certification teaches a mix of technical and expert managerial set of skills and expertise, and can give those who hold the certificate an edge over their competitors, as the certification ensures the candidate can design, implement and tackle security issues without much supervision and handle critical cyberattacks effortlessly.

Sophisticated Knowledge and Technical Know-How

Employers should seek for experienced professionals who are highly skilled in the information security domain. Such candidates usually possess thorough knowledge and have the technical know-how to tackle dangerous virtual attacks. Possessing bookish knowledge is not enough; having hands-on experience can go a long way in executing appropriate security measures to thwart cyberthreats and safeguard the organization from ruthless virtual attacks.

Attention to Detail

Having a keen eye for detail and an analytical approach to resolve critical security concerns also should be high on employers’ list of desirable traits. In this era of digitalization, employers are aware that cybersecurity is no longer a policy-based process to counter cyberattacks. The main focus is on in-depth analysis and tracking of hacking attacks and early detection of frauds by the security experts. An InfoSec pro should be able to monitor the internal systems and server information regularly and thoroughly investigate the intramural network and defend it from any potential malicious attack.

Ethical and Sensible Mindset

It is important that employers consider InfoSec professionals as corporate assets, since they are the ones who ensure the information security strategy of the organization is in place. Implementing a security procedure or installing a device on the network is not enough to protect it from online terror attacks. Employers should focus on hiring InfoSec professionals who fathom the importance of risk-based security programs, have core knowledge about the top-down security approach and behave sensibly and respond ethically to virtual attacks and contrive sound security measures for internal implementation.

Effective Communication Skills

Notwithstanding, an InfoSec professional should possess good communication skills and understand how to interact with all levels of employees. Employers should focus on hiring InfoSec professionals who are capable of transmitting both technical and non-technical messages efficiently and able to deliver the requisite information to their respective audience clearly and lucidly.

Conclusion

Employers should be extremely judicious while hiring Information security professionals. Over the years, the need and requirement for InfoSec professionals has grown exponentially. And it’s no wonder: Security professionals who have a clear focus and vision are always in demand, as they are the ones who have an unique and innovative approach to tackle intricate security concerns effectively and efficiently.

Jane Thomson

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Jane Thomson

Jane Thomson is Content Marketing Manager at GreyCampus with five years rich experience on developing content for professional certification courses like PMP- Project Management Professional, PMI-ACP, Prince2, ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), Big Data, Cloud, Digital Marketing and Six Sigma.

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