Virtual reality could attract new talent to security careers

The cyber security industry continues to face a skills crisis, but a new study from security vendor ProtectWise and analyst ESG suggests that the adoption of new technologies could be instrumental in attracting new talent.

The survey of over 500 16 to 24 year-olds finds that 74 percent say that the use of gaming and VR technology in the fight against cyber crime would increase the likelihood of them pursuing a cyber security career.

Just one percent of employed respondents are working in cyber security and only nine percent of all respondents show an interest in pursuing a career in the field. The research suggests that there are perceived barriers to a cyber security career. 65 percent say they weren't offered cyber security careers advice or training by schools or colleges. 30 percent of those who don’t plan to pursue a cyber security career say it’s because they don’t feel they have adequate technical ability.

"Organizations are struggling to fill a shortage in cyber security professionals. In fact, a recent survey revealed that 45 percent of IT and cyber security professionals say that their organization has a problematic shortage of cyber security skills," said Jon Oltsik, senior principal analyst at ESG. "Rather than continue to talk about the skills gap, we need to start thinking about how to appeal to, educate, and recruit the next generation entering the workforce. This survey reveals some things that have the potential to attract millennials and post-millennials to jobs which could have a positive impact on the future of cybersecurity."

When asked about the impact of VR technology, 77 percent say they would get more enjoyment from using VR-based tools compared to desktop-based tools, 74 percent say VR would increase ease of use, while 72 percent say it would increase their efficiency.

Even among respondents who didn’t feel they have the technical aptitude for security jobs, 64 percent reported that access to VR and immersive technologies would increase their likelihood of considering a job in cyber security.

"Millennials and post-millennials grew up with Minecraft and Xbox, developing skills for spatial reasoning and collaboration in immersive environments that are now second nature," says Scott Chasin, co-founder and CEO at ProtectWise. "As the roles of threat hunter, responder and commander become more defined for enterprise security teams, their characteristics are aligning with these innate abilities, which enable more effective incident response. The cyber security industry must evolve to embrace technologies that attract and empower this next generation of talent."

You can read more in the full report which is available to download from the ProtectWise site.

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