Why Your Business Should Hire a Cybersecurity Engineer

As the cybersecurity space continues to evolve and the level of threats increases and becomes more sophisticated, recruiting cybersecurity talent has never been more necessary. Whether it’s helping your company combat cyber-attacks and enhancing data protection to save you money and protect your reputation, there are various reasons why your business should hire a cybersecurity engineer.

In this guide, we'll answer the question, ‘What does a cybersecurity engineer do?’ and discuss the reasons mentioned above for hiring a cybersecurity specialist. 

What does a cybersecurity engineer do?

Cybersecurity engineers are essential to your IT department and IT infrastructure. Their role encompasses various duties focused on safeguarding an organization from a broad range of cyber threats. 

One primary responsibility of a cybersecurity engineer is assessing a company's IT security defenses. They typically conduct pen tests to identify any weaknesses within a business's systems, networks, and general IT infrastructure that could leave it vulnerable to an attack. Based on these tests and assessments, they will develop a strategy to bolster a company's security protocols and defenses.

Regarding cybersecurity recruitment, it's important to understand how vigilant these IT security engineers must be. Cybersecurity engineers continuously monitor and track the performance of IT infrastructure, notifying any anomalies or suspicious behavior. Doing so allows them to forecast potential breaches and take strategic action to combat threats. With this foresight, they can mitigate any financial or reputational damage an attack may have. 

Experienced cybersecurity engineers are critical thinkers who take a proactive stance against cyber threats. They will use their expertise to fortify a company's IT infrastructure from attacks, taking measures such as implementing updates to hardware and software to configuring firewalls and encryption. Again, they'll monitor how successful these defensive protocols are, adapting and reinforcing them accordingly. 

Top IT security engineers keep their finger on the pulse of the market. As online threats continue to emerge and evolve, talent within this space stays updated with the latest cybersecurity trends to ensure your defenses uphold their resiliency year-round. Leveraging innovative tools and technologies, these specialists remain at the forefront of designing and deploying cybersecurity solutions to protect the integrity of an organization's business and its IT infrastructure.

After answering the question, 'What does a cybersecurity engineer do?', let's discuss why your business should start recruiting cybersecurity professionals.

Why you should start recruiting cybersecurity talent

There are several reasons to hire a cybersecurity specialist, from their ability to combat cyber-attacks and enhance data protection to saving you money and protecting your brand's reputation. In this section, we'll outline the key reasons your business should hire a cybersecurity engineer to emphasize how valuable recruiting cybersecurity talent can be for your organization.

Cybersecurity engineers combat cyber-attacks

Our first reason your business should hire a cybersecurity engineer is that they can help combat cyber-attacks. Security Magazine states that over 2,200 cyber-attacks occur each day, equating to one almost every 39 seconds. Additionally, in 2023, it took companies, on average, 49 days to identify an attack. 

With the rate and sophistication of attacks expected to increase, it’s clear that organizations must take proactive measures to fortify their defenses. These alarming statistics emphasize the need to hire cybersecurity specialists to detect and deter potential threats. 

Cybersecurity engineers are on the frontline when it comes to combating cyber-attacks. They can bring much-needed expertise to your business and implement security tools, such as antivirus programs and firewalls, to counter various threats. But what are the types of cyber threats an IT security engineer can combat?

Let's delve into the most common cyber threats faced by organizations:

• Malware Attacks: These threats involve malicious software distributed through email, links, or infected sites. They can cause severe damage to IT infrastructures and take sensitive data. For context, in the first half of 2022, there were nearly 3 billion malware attacks.
• Ransomware Attacks: Tied closely with malware, which involves encrypting an individual or company's data, ransomware consists of a threat in which hackers demand a ransom for decryption. In 2023, ransomware attacks reached record highs, with ransom payments surpassing $1 billion.
• Phishing Attacks: With 3.4 billion phishing emails sent daily, these types of attacks are deceptive and harmful emails or texts that appear legitimate. Engaging with these messages by replying to them or opening a link can result in an individual installing dangerous software.
• Weak Passwords: Nearly 20% of passwords in North America are compromised, leaving IT infrastructure vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Alarmingly, around 8 million passwords are compromised per day, equalling 100 per second. 
• Insider Threats: Whether through a malicious attack or unintentional mistake, employees with access to a company’s IT infrastructure can cause a cyber-attack. These types of cyber threats affect more than 34% of global organizations each year.

To conclude our first point, recruiting cybersecurity talent can give your company the specialist expertise to combat the various types of cyber-attacks mentioned above. If no action is taken to protect your business from these threats, you will be open to severe financial and reputation damages, as mentioned in other sections within this guide.

Recruiting cybersecurity talent enhances data protection

Hiring permanent or contract cybersecurity engineers can also enhance your data protection. Sensitive information, such as your company's finances, intellectual property, or customer and employee information, is all vulnerable to cyber threats. Recruiting cybersecurity professionals can keep your data secure from internal and external threats, bolstering your security posture.

IT security engineers have the specialist knowledge and ability to deploy security protocols. They can implement measures such as firewalls and encryption to safeguard data from threats and unauthorized access. For example, encryption can make sensitive information unreadable to people you don’t want to provide access to, securing it from potential data breaches.

Cybersecurity engineers can also implement proper user permissions and access controls, setting up accounts for specific employees and departments. They can ensure your staff has strong passwords and that only those with the predetermined authority can access certain data, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and insider threats. 

For example, they can ensure that only members of your cybersecurity team have access to your networks. Doing so would ensure that other employees, who may not have the skill sets or experience, don’t mistakenly cause your infrastructure to be compromised by an attack.

If a breach were to occur, leaving your data in the hands of a hacker who could exploit your sensitive information by stealing or deleting it, a cybersecurity engineer can help. An IT security engineer can implement data backups, ensuring your company has copies of your data that can be restored in the event of an attack. 

Recruiting cybersecurity professionals saves you money

Cyber-attacks can cause significant financial harm to your business. IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023 emphasizes this by stating that the global cost of a data breach has substantially grown over the last few years, reaching an average of $4.45 million. Significant financial losses such as this can place businesses in a grave situation they cannot recover from. 

Recruiting cybersecurity professionals can help mitigate your company’s exposure to potential threats. As mentioned, IT security engineers can deploy strategies surrounding malware prevention and firewalls to protect your systems and devices from threats such as phishing and ransomware attacks. Doing so can reduce the potential for you to pay damages on an attack, ultimately saving your business money. 

Whether you outsource IT security services or employ talent in-house, you can strengthen your security posture by taking cost-effective measures within your hiring budget. With outsourcing, you could budget a fixed monthly fee for the temporary services of a cybersecurity engineer. They can work on your business's behalf to transform how you tackle cyber threats. 

Alternatively, if you have a larger budget, you could hire an IT security engineer or team of engineers on a permanent contract. Here, you can use their expertise to develop cost-effective strategies that secure your business from a security and financial standpoint.

Hiring cybersecurity specialists and making an effort to combat cyber threats in your business will involve costs. However, this investment is worth it in the long run. It pales in comparison to the significant financial losses you could incur from being unprepared to defend against a cyber attack.

Cybersecurity recruitment agencies can help you make the right hiring decision regarding the acquisition of an IT security engineer. They can also help you establish and enhance your stance on cybersecurity in an affordable way. Learn more by reading our guide on how IT recruitment agencies can benefit your business.

Cybersecurity engineers help protect your reputation

Our final reason your business should hire a cybersecurity engineer revolves around protecting your organization's reputation. As we’ve mentioned, whether it be a loss of finances or sensitive information, data breaches and cyber-attacks can result in significant implications for your company. This can potentially damage your reputation in the eyes of shareholders and stakeholders. IT security engineers can significantly help prevent cyber-attacks and protect your reputation.

Aside from combating cyber-attacks, IT security engineers can help ensure your company complies with the necessary rules and regulations. Failing to abide by the relevant compliance regulations can result in penalties that could tarnish your reputation. However, showcasing a commitment to compliance can help you build partnerships with your customers, clients, and staff, making them feel comfortable and secure in being associated with your brand and handling their specific assets.

Cybersecurity specialists can also protect your reputation by educating your employees and external users of your infrastructure regarding IT security best practices. An IT security engineer can train stakeholders on subjects such as creating secure passwords and detecting a phishing email. Taking this proactive stance can mitigate the threat of innocent human errors.

With a cybersecurity engineer on your side, you can emphasize your reputation as a business that takes cybersecurity seriously. This can extend to your client and talent attraction and retention strategies, as people and entities will be more inclined to trust partnering with your brand with the reassurance that their data and sensitive information will be protected from internal and external cyber-attacks.

The final word on hiring a cybersecurity engineer

In summary, hiring a cybersecurity engineer is a crucial step you should take if you’re serious about protecting your business against the rising levels of cyber threats. IT security engineers can strengthen your defenses and enhance your data protection whilst saving you money by mitigating potential losses and safeguarding your reputation through compliance and educational programs. 

Ultimately, investing in cybersecurity talent is essential for long-term resilience and success in today's digitally-driven tech world.

If you found this guide useful, check out our piece on how your business can overcome the cybersecurity skills gap.

Specialists in cybersecurity recruitment

If you’re considering recruiting cybersecurity professionals to enhance your security posture, we can help. Our team of tech recruiters can help grow your organization with talent and has the expertise to connect your business with the market’s top IT security engineers. 

Contact us today to partner with us and source your next cybersecurity engineer.