Cybersecurity staff perform multiple different roles

Staff at various levels work in multiple cybersecurity functions according to the latest report from IANS research and recruitment specialist Artico Search.

It finds 42 percent have responsibilities that span multiple cybersecurity domains. Of the AppSec staff, 74 percent also contribute to product security and 67 percent are involved in identity and access management (IAM).

Within product security, 63 percent of staff also support IAM. However, governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) exhibits lighter ties with other roles. About 37 percent of GRC staff also take on architecture and engineering (A&E) responsibilities, and just 25 percent are engaged in AppSec work.

Steve Martano, a partner in Artico Search's cybersecurity practice and IANS Faculty member, says, "For years we have heard many cybersecurity professionals discuss the number of hats they wear in their organization. This latest report clearly illustrates the sheer number of day to day responsibilities by function. Not only does each function support its own set of core tasks, most roles also support at least two additional functions. This has many companies grappling with typical corporate salary bands as cybersecurity requires specialized compensation packages to better compete for talent and minimize attrition."

It's not surprising that compensation for security roles is in line with experience. Staff with at least 12 years of relevant experience earn as much as 22 percent above the baseline. Expertise in AppSec, product security or IAM, or a masters degree or Ph.D, commands a premium of 21 percent for cash compensation. Meanwhile, staff with fewer than three years of relevant experience earn packages up to 40 percent below the baseline.

The report also shows that cybersecurity remains a male dominated area. Only 20 percent overall self-identify as female, binary or other. GRC has the highest gender diversity at 40 percent, followed by IAM at 25 percent, while A&E has the lowest non-male representation at 10 percent.

The full report is available from the IANS site.

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