New Research Suggests Gamers Make Great Cybersecurity Professionals

McAfee, a leading cybersecurity company has released interesting research indicating that the best candidates for cybersecurity jobs are of all people, gamers!

Mcafee’s ‘Winning the Game’ report investigated current and future challenges to the cybersecurity industry, including threat detection, technology investment and the type of skills required to ensure the safety of information against cyber threats. Their efforts included surveying 300 senior security managers and 650 security professionals in public and private-sector organizations.

According to survey respondents, more than three quarters (78%) think the current generation entering the workforce, who have been brought up on various different video games, are stronger candidates for cybersecurity roles than traditional hires.

Furthermore, a whopping 92 percent of respondents believe that gaming affords players experience and skills critical to cybersecurity threat hunting. Skills to do with logic, perseverance, and an understanding of how to approach adversaries.

“With cybersecurity breaches being the norm for organizations, we have to create a workplace that empowers cybersecurity responders to do their best work,” said Grant Bourzikas, chief information security officer at McAfee. “Keeping our workforce engaged, educated and satisfied at work is critical to ensuring organizations do not increase complexity in the already high-stakes game against cybercrime.”

This research comes at a time of an incredible skills shortage in the cybersecurity industry, which McAfee hopes can be remedied with the help of gamers.

Maybe Aussie parents should be happy about their kids gaming after all – could set them up for a solid career in one of the fastest growing parts of the IT industry.