It’s hard to read a newspaper or watch TV for very long before hearing about some type of cyber attack or data breach. Not only are businesses at risk, but hackers have started to target large government agencies as well.

The problem with dealing with cyber security issues is that there are few professionals with the training necessary to assess these problems facing organizations and government agencies of all sizes. Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand, with some citing demand growing 12 times faster than the larger job market.

U.S. Government Offering Help for Cybersecurity Shortfalls

The government is finally taking notice of this increased need for education surrounding cybersecurity, and in January of 2015, pledged $25 million to form a cybersecurity education consortium.

While the government is creating a consortium surrounding cybersecurity education, a D.C.-based startup called Cybrary has launched offering online-based IT and cybersecurity training for absolutely free.

The demand for Cybrary’s courses has been extraordinary, with 175,000 users registering since the company launched in late 2014. Topics covered by Cybrary include everything from ethical hacking, penetration testing, and cryptography to CompTIA certifications.

Cybersecurity is a Global Need

While new initiatives within the U.S. government and rapid growth by Cybrary may point to cybersecurity being mostly a U.S.-based need, this is simply not the case.

Countries around the world, including India and Nigeria, have recently cited a large demand for cybersecurity professionals in the coming years. India estimates that the country will need one million cybersecurity professionals by 2020, and Nigeria expects to have a shortfall of around 1.5 million professionals by 2020 as well.

Future is Bright for IT Professionals

As the Internet continues to permeate into all facets of daily life, IT professionals will continue to be in high demand. Individuals that are looking for a new career that will become more important as computer systems and eCommerce become more complicated should most definitely look into the field of cybersecurity. With online institutions like Cybrary offering high-level cybersecurity classes for free, the opportunity to brush up on IT knowledge is now available to all.

For more information on Orion’s products and services, such as embedded systems, please feel free to call 407-476-2120, or contact our team online.