5 Cybersecurity Professionals You Need to Hire in 2024

Updated 12/1/2023

Cybercrime is on the rise and is estimated to cost the world $9.5 trillion in 2024. As more industries undergo digital transformations using machine learning and AI, the number of cyber threats and crimes is expected to grow.

Businesses in every industry need cybersecurity professionals to help protect their networks, systems, and data from cyberattacks, breaches, and unauthorized access. There are several types of cybersecurity professionals, but how do you know what type of cybersecurity roles you should recruit and hire?

Let’s discuss why cybersecurity professionals play an essential role in business and which ones you need to protect your organization from harm.

Why 2024 Is The Right Time To Grow Your Cybersecurity Team 

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, you probably rely on digital tools to store, manage, and access sensitive businesses-related information. This might include things like:

• Usernames
• Passwords
• Banking information
• Social security numbers
• Credit card information
• Intellectual property
• And much more

By implementing appropriate cybersecurity measures, you’re keeping this information protected from hackers who would put it to malicious use. But not all cybersecurity analysts are the same. Do you know which experts you need to employ? While your hiring needs are unique to your business, there are a few cybersecurity experts that every company should consider. Let’s review:

Network Security Engineer

The role: A network security engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining secure computer networking systems. They protect an organization’s network against cyber threats such as malware attacks and also prevent unauthorized access to sensitive network systems. These professionals ultimately work to detect vulnerabilities and mitigate threats before they pose a risk to your important data. 

Why you should hire a network security engineer: According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2023 was over $4 million, a 15% increase from 2020. Network security engineers leverage their computer science and IT networking expertise to ensure that networks stay safe from cyber threats while expanding to meet the business needs of an organization.

Security Architect

The role: Security architects are cybersecurity professionals who preside over the general design and implementation of an organization’s security infrastructure. Security architects help to implement an organization’s security strategy through the development and deployment of new security policies, procedures, and systems designs.

Why you should hire a security architect: Businesses can benefit from hiring security architects because they help monitor and implement security polices and standards. Controls and security framework standards developed by security architects often help in governing the technical choices made by other IT teams to promote security within the organization. Because security architects typically occupy a more senior position in an IT department, they’re capable of supervising other IT staff.

Threat Intelligence Analyst

The role: Threat intelligence analysts are cybersecurity experts who deal with emerging threats and malicious actors targeting an organization’s IT infrastructure. They can simulate real-world cyber-attacks to assess the security of an organization’s computer systems, networks, applications, and other digital environments. These analysts often work with a Security Operations Center (SOC) to monitor for incoming malicious activity targeting the organization’s network or IT systems.

Why you should hire a threat intelligence analyst: Cybersecurity threats change every day and threat intelligence analyst’s are positioned to sufficiently mitigate these threats. As new risks emerge and new techniques are employed by hackers, threat intelligence analysts are becoming more of a business necessity as companies look for ways to proactively strengthen their security posture.

Vulnerability Management Analyst

The role: Vulnerability management analysts are responsible for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities across a company’s computer systems and networks. They typically assess vulnerabilities present across various IT infrastructure and software, using tools to detect different vulnerabilities in need of remediation. These cybersecurity professionals can also be involved in coordinating internal penetration tests. These tests use simulations of real exploitation attempts to assess security adequacy.

Why you should hire a vulnerability management analyst: Vulnerability management analysts play a pivotal role in keeping an organization secure by mitigating vulnerabilities present in a complex and ever-changing IT systems environment. They’re the experts that find holes in existing systems and software to mitigate risk before an attacker could make use of them. By hiring this kind of cybersecurity expert, you’re addressing threats before they even arise.

Identity and Access Management Analyst

The role: In short, identity and access management (IAM) analysts are cybersecurity professionals who oversee access to an organization’s information systems. They manage account and password policies, how accounts are accessed, and the ways in which their credentials are used, managed and rotated. IAM analysts also work with data security considerations, enforcing how sensitive data is accessed within IT systems and which users can access which internal resources.

Why you should hire an IAM analyst: A part of keeping your business’ most sensitive information secure means limiting who has access to it. This is where IAM analysts come in. They ensure only authorized users can access your organization’s resources, and that access is granted based on the principle of least privilege. In other words, users are given access to the information they need to perform their job functions and no more.

When To Outsource Cybersecurity Staff to a Staffing Company or Managed Service 

Some organizations may want to strengthen their cybersecurity posture but don’t have the resources to hire and recruit an in-house team. Managed service providers help organizations hire on-demand IT staff to address their complex cybersecurity challenges, fill specialized skills gaps, or scale quickly for a project.

Despite the gradual rise in cybercrimes, 64% of cyber leaders ranked talent recruitment and retention as key challenges for managing their cyber resilience in 2023. On top of that, more than half of surveyed leaders reported not having the skills needed to respond to current cyberattacks. Staffing companies can help organizations overcome hurdles surrounding the known skills shortages in cybersecurity. And with access to a robust talent pool of cybersecurity professionals with a range of skills and expertise, staffing companies quickly assemble teams to match your unique needs so you can focus on what you do best. 

Hire Only the Best Cybersecurity Professionals

New year? New needs. Companies looking to hire cybersecurity experts in 2024 should consider the above positions, but we know there may be various other positions better suited to your hiring needs. What’s important is that you curate a comprehensive set of security skills and processes to keep your business safe from hackers. These cybersecurity interview questions will get you started.

The need for cybersecurity professionals is growing rapidly, making cyber experts of all kinds some of the most in-demand tech positions in the current market. Beat the competition by letting us help you hire only the best candidates.