Carried out with Information Security Solutions (ISS), the survey of over 600 information security professionals revealed that over 56% experienced a pay increase in the last 12 months.
The average salary in the information security industry, suggested by the survey to be dominated by senior roles, was £53 600, and almost two thirds of respondents earned more than £50 000.
John Colley, managing director (ISC)2 EMEA, observed that although budgets were being cut, it seems to be technology that’s being affected, while organisations continue to recruit professionals.
He noted that the vast majority of those flourishing in the industry had some sort of professional qualification.
The survey also revealed that although 72% of the professionals interviewed confirmed that their organisations employed a security policy, it was not always the case that such policies were followed.
“I think a lot of policies are too prescriptive and don’t fit in with company culture,” said Colley. “People see them as an obstacle to their job,” he noted, pointing out that “airlines don’t see all the checks they need to do to get an aircraft up into the air as obstacles to their job.”
Commenting on the Infosecurity Europe show, Colley remarked that he had anticipated there being “more on data loss prevention”.
“The big boys are here as they feel they have to be here – but I don’t feel that they have anything startling to say,” he commented, adding that he was interested in the smaller, niche companies.
Colley did note, however, the presence of educational institutes and universities – such as those from Oxford, Glamorgan and Royal Holloway, and pointed out how academia and professional qualifications can complement each other.
(ISC)2 have been running ‘career clinics’ at the show, putting professionals with a recruitment consultant, examining the career landscape, and looking at ‘what’s hot and what’s not’. (ISC)2 plan to run the programme globally.
(ISC)2, who are celebrating their 20th year as a professional security body, reached a milestone recently as they recently a professional certification to the 10 000th member within the EMEA region.