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The economy was tough on technology professionals in 2009 with most surveys pointing to no growth in salaries or even small cuts. However, at least one segment of the IT industry appears to have fared quite well and is in line for further gains in 2010.
A survey released this week on information security professionals found that more than half of IT security pros received salary increases in 2009. The survey, prepared by ISC2, a not-for-profit body of certified information security professionals, found that globally 52.8% received salary increases in 2009. IT pros in the U.S. did slightly better at 55.1%. The organization surveyed about 3,000 IT security pros, including about 1,800 in the U.S.
Less than 11% of respondents said they experienced salary or benefit cuts in 2009, while just 4.8% (5% in the U.S.) were laid off.
“The results from our latest Career Impact Survey show that in a very difficult economic environment, organizations are placing an even higher value on the work that information security professionals do,” W. Hord Tipton, executive director of ISC2, said in a statement. “It’s a sign of the private and public sectors’ ever-increasing dependence upon the stability and security of the online world, providing a plethora of career opportunities for knowledgeable, qualified, motivated security professionals.”
Better yet for IT security pros, it appears they may be in line for further gains in 2010. Of the 800-plus respondents who identified themselves as having hiring responsibilities, more than half, said they were looking to hire permanent and/or contract employees in 2010. That’s an improvement over the previous year’s survey when 44.5% of hiring managers said they expected to be hiring in the second half of 2009.
“The biggest challenge top companies and government agencies face is finding enough of the right people with the right security skills to meet their needs, including security technicians, professionals and managers,” Tipton added.
Other highlights from the survey include:
• About 54% of respondents expect no personnel reductions or layoffs in 2010, while 20% expect layoffs. This compared to 40% of respondents who expected layoffs in the 2009 survey.
• In the U.S., 34.2% of respondents believe the economic downturn is causing an increased security risk within their organization. Outside attacks from hackers was identified as the most common threat, followed by employee misconduct.
• Globally, 55.5% said the economic downturn had decreased their security technology purchases in 2009.
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