One thing that the pandemic made us realize among many other devastating things was how fragile our jobs were. The world witnessed many industries getting disrupted by the pandemic, and it is predicted for these industries to take years to regain relevance.

Nevertheless, we also witnessed certain industries like IT, Privacy, and Cybersecurity boom in the pandemic due to the shift towards the virtual world. This transition from the real to the virtual world acted as a catalyst for job seekers involved in the field of Privacy. Privacy and Data Protection were some of the few industries which not just managed to survive the pandemic but their significance grew due to the pandemic.

FACTORS THAT MAKE PRIVACY AND CYBERSECURITY JOBS PANDEMIC PROOF!

1. Increase in cyber crimes:

With the whole world shifting online, cyber theft and data leaks grew to make it a year of cybercrimes. We saw major government organizations like the UN, WHO releasing statements in this regard and were a victim to such attacks. The UN stated that the year 2020 not only signifies pandemic, but also infodemic and cyberdemic and thus increased the demand for professionals who can guide companies to safeguard their data.

2. Regulations:

The laws regulating privacy and data protection have increased their relevance in recent times and demands strict adherence to the same by companies. The EU’s GDPR mandates the company to employ a Data Protection Officer, who complies with the new age laws in Privacy. All the countries have started adopting these laws and implementing the same and will require qualified professionals having knowledge of privacy and cyber security.

3. Awareness among users:

Maybe before the users were ignorant of how the data collected about them is used by companies, but with growing laws and awareness around data privacy and cyber attacks, users have started to take cognizance of how, who and what of the data collected. This has increased the accountability of the company and in turn, is prioritizing privacy and cyber security roles.

4. Reputation of the company:

With more and more internet users, the data collected, stored, and processed by companies is increasing, and the onus is on the companies to make it attack proof for which they need more and more privacy and cyber security professionals. Or their reputation is at stake.

5. Here to Stay:

Pandemic or not, privacy and cyber security are here to stay, companies want to abide by regulation, customers want accountability and both of these can only be done by professionals in privacy and cyber security. It is a niche area predicted to grow by bounds where the demand is ever increasing.

If this wasn’t an incentive enough, let’s look at some data regarding privacy-related jobs and it’s growth in terms of opportunities and salary. According to data available with the employment portal Indeed, job postings related to cyber security showed the largest jump between April and May, while searches saw the biggest increase between the same period.

“Postings for cybersecurity-related jobs have increased by 6 percent from February-May 2020. During the same period, searches for these roles grew by 30 percent.”

According to the latest data by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the mean salary of a privacy professional has increased by approximately $6,000 (£4,260 or €4,950) in the past two years to $140,529 (£99,850 or €116,000).

With the pandemic dawning upon us, every individual wants to make sure whether their job can sustain catastrophic events like the pandemic, the data and recent trends show that the field of privacy and cyber security is one such area where a knowledgeable individual can sustain and flourish with time.

HOW TO BUILD A CAREER IN PRIVACY IN 3 MONTHS?

Now that we have analyzed the role in terms of demand, opportunities and money let’s understand how one can get into this field and avail all the said benefits. There are an array of roles available in this space for IT Professionals, Engineers, Lawyers who can contribute towards securing the company’s data from possible breaches.

Certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) such as CIPP/E, CIPT, and CIPM are required. Data Protection Officer Certification from Tsaaro Academy, IAPP’s Official Training Partner can help you in making yourself job ready for the post of a DPO. Each of these courses is for a short duration of time, you may choose the relevant certification according to your interest and educational background. Most of the companies prefer individuals with these certifications as it signifies the knowledge of this field and compliance as per the laws and regulations.

With the pandemic dawning upon us, every individual wants to make sure whether their job can sustain catastrophic events like the pandemic. The data and recent trends show that the field of privacy and cyber security is one such area where a knowledgeable individual can sustain and flourish with time.