- KPMG and PwC are Britain’s biggest recruiters of cyber security experts, with EY and Deloitte close behind – making the ‘Big Four’ the country’s top four cyber hirers
- The top ten cyber hirers are dominated by financial firms, but household names Vodafone and Sainsbury’s also feature
- ‘IT security specialist’ – which pays an average salary of £45,722 – is the most in-demand cyber security role in the UK, with nearly three times as many vacancies as second placed ‘security engineer’
KPMG and PwC are comfortably the UK’s top cyber recruiters, according to new data released by the world’s largest job site, Indeed. In fact, both companies are hiring a large proportion of cyber security specialists, with cyber roles accounting for one in every 17 (5.95%) new KPMG recruits and one in 20 (5.08%) new hires at PwC.
The two other members of the accountancy sector’s ‘Big Four’, EY and Deloitte, complete the cyber hirers’ top four, with cyber roles making up 1.99% and 1.47% respectively of their current job vacancies.
Bill Richards, UK Managing Director of the global job site Indeed, commented: “By definition accountancy firms need to store lots of sensitive financial information, and they therefore require robust cyber defences. Nevertheless it’s striking that the ‘Big Four’ dominate all four top spots in our league table of the UK’s most prolific cyber hirers. Another telling observation is how the list comprises entirely of private sector companies as the corporate world builds digital defence lines.”
Despite accountancy firms concerns, other sectors’ giants are also on the lookout for new IT talent. In this regard, Giant Vodafone ranks fifth for cyber recruitment, while the rest of the top 20 includes a large contingent of financial and technology firms, with the supermarket Sainsbury’s the sole retailer to make the list.
Cyber employees are more highly sought after than ever in the UK, with Indeed seeing an increase of 14.58% in cyber postings per million vacancies from 2017 to 2018.
“The critical importance of their work, the skill and discretion it requires, and strong demand from employers have combined to drive up cyber professionals’ salaries. Cyber security is both a hot topic and a lucrative profession right now,” added Bill Richards.
The most sought after cyber roles can be highly lucrative. All the most in-demand positions offer an average annual salary above the national average of £27,600, with the top five paying a combined average of £45,851 a year.
Leading the way is the role of ‘IT security specialist’, which has nearly three times as much demand among employers as the second placed ‘security engineer’.
Behind them are ‘security consultant’ and ‘information security analyst’, with ‘IT auditor’ completing the top five.
“[This survey] is telling that many large organisations now talk of ‘critical’ infrastructure rather than ‘IT’ infrastructure. Every aspect of a modern company relies on its IT, and the growing threat of cyber attack and tightening of privacy laws means demand is rising fast for professionals who are able to protect companies’ most precious information,” concluded Mr Richards.
Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.