• Qualified talent is essential to boost the cybersecurity sector
• Cybersecurity specialists can come from different academic disciplines; they don’t need to be engineers or systems experts
• Taking care of cybersecurity has become a key factor in brand reputation and user confidence

In 2017 alone, the CNN-CERT (Spanish Acronym for “Incident Response Centre of the National Cryptological Centre” at the CNI) dealt with 26,500 cyber incidents, which meant a 26.55% increase from 2016. This increase reflects the delicate situation in which companies find themselves and the pressure to protect both public and private entities from these types of online threats.

The cost of cybersecurity is increasing exponentially for companies. The rise of “cybercrime as a service” and the increase in hacking tools and services that were previously only accessible to a few have blurred the profile of the classic cybercriminal making it possible for virtually anyone, attracted by the high economic return and ease of cyberattacks, to have access to them. To make matters worse, the lack of qualified candidates in IT security is added to this situation. Companies are exposed to more risks since their control and response capacity is limited.

On February 20 we held an exclusive Cybersecurity breakfast event, and we had the pleasure of having Adolfo Hernández, deputy director and cofounder of THIBER, a cybersecurity think-tank research centre specialized in cyberspace protection, and Head of Advanced Cyber Defence at Sabadell Bank.

We focused on the topic of “How to make the most of the digital economy by managing corporate digital risks”. The conclusions we drew have defined the main trends and the challenges of the cybersecurity sector today:

• Identify, attract and retain talent

One of the main challenges for companies when tackling cybersecurity threats is to first be able to identify, attract and retain talent. According to Adolfo Hernández, Spain is a specialized talent powerhouse in this area and has become a leading destination for cybersecurity offshoring. This is demonstrated by the creation of different cybersecurity hubs in large multinational companies and the existence of a growing regional business network that offers quality services at competitive prices.

According to a study by ISC2 (International Information System Security Certification Consortium), by 2022 there will be a shortage of 350,000 cybersecurity professionals in Europe. It has been stressed that extensive prior technical experience should not be a barrier to entry. In fact, not all cybersecurity profiles have to be engineers; other figures such as political scientists and criminologists are also required to help understand the motivation, economic model and profiles behind cyberattacks.

• Confidence in CYBERSECURITY

Cybercrime is the fastest growing crime and has a huge impact on consumer confidence in the digital market, as Adolfo Hernández explained to us. Cybersecurity has become an essential factor in measuring the confidence consumers have in a company. The news that Moody’s is already studying how to build the cyber risk that a company has into business credit ratings is really driving home the fact that a cyberattack goes beyond being an economic problem; it can become a serious reputational problem.

• Hyperconnectivity and Cybersecurity

Hyperconnectivity stands out as one of the biggest obstacles to cybersecurity. The Internet of things means that a cyberattack can affect several devices (mobile phones, Smart TVs, connected vehicles, security cameras…)

The digital population has increased by more than 366 million users in 2019 versus January last year. More than 3.2 billion people are active Internet users who don’t limit themselves to just one device; there are millions of objects connected through the Internet of Things (IoT). Therefore, the more connected we are, the more we are exposed to risks.

• Disparity between those who protect and those who attack

The relationship between the cybersecurity professional and the cyber attacker is significantly imbalanced. Those in charge of protecting companies have to deal with different tasks on a daily basis that have nothing to do with the objective of defending against all possible attacks; such as dealing with audit departments, limited budgets, lack of corporate awareness, lack of specialised talent and regulatory compliance. On the other hand, the only task the attacker has is to find a vulnerability to attack: this is a complete imbalance. At The Valley Talent, we consider it essential that companies have the ability to identify qualified talent and integrate them correctly into their corporate structures. This way, they are better equipped to respond to cyberattacks.

Companies that attract and retain the best talent in this sector will develop cyber capabilities to securely face the digital challenge. The challenges at hand are to make cybercrime less profitable and combating it an even fight.

Digitization has revolutionised human resources departments. With new technologies being integrated into company activities, manual tasks have been automated, processes have modernised, and new profiles have been created that need to be adopted by companies, should they wish to remain competitive.

Although each business has developed its own systems and tools, new jobs have emerged that adapt to any sector. However, the high technological knowledge required for these roles makes these profiles difficult to find in the labour market.

What are the digital profiles we’ll be talking about in coming years?

• Blockchain Architect: although blockchain technology was born out of the financial sector, its applications in artificial intelligence systems have given rise to this new profession. The role is highly sought after by digital companies whose activity has a high algorithmic component. Blockchain Architects have extensive knowledge in blockchains and are responsible for verifying processes and ensuring they operate safely.
• Growth hacker: their analytical, creative and social listening skills make Growth Hackers ideal for digital marketing departments. They are dedicated to collecting data, analysing it and drawing conclusions so that they can then implement creative strategies in order to improve the positioning of a product or service against the competition. Knowledge of SEO and web analytics are key in their activity.
• Cibersecurity Manager: the lack of data protection can become a real headache for companies that operate online in any capacity. It’s becoming increasingly common for companies to integrate a team dedicated exclusively to data protection, and this specialized profile is responsible for directing and coordinating all required actions to achieve it.
• Scrum Master: this role centres on mentoring a team until they reach the “final sprint” phase. This is a key profile, especially when it comes to project presentations, as a Scrum Master can act as a moderator by guiding the speakers to prevent them getting stuck during their pitches.

Omnichannel, digital marketing and big data: the key areas

Combining both the physical marketplace and online commerce has generated new sales strategies based on omnichannel. To develop this strategy effectively, coordination between departments is essential, which is the main objective of an Omnichannel Director: a profession which is increasingly in demand.

The ability to analyse a company’s web presence is another of today’s highest-valued skills. Therefore, CRO experts have become a digital marketing department’s most precious asset. Although they maintain a close relationship with UX and SEO professionals, their work is essential in optimising web pages and thus obtaining the maximum possible conversion rate.

Furthermore, the race for data does not stop. The hiring of professionals with extensive knowledge in big data has become an obsession for companies that want to make information a competitive advantage. Specifically, Chief Data Officer and Data Scientist are the two professions in this area which human resources departments fight over the most.

At The Valley Talent, we analyse the needs of each company and find the most in-demand professionals who are the best fit, so that your company continues to be a leader in its sector. . If you are looking for talent, this is your digital headhunter.

Following suit of most professional sectors, Human Resources has implemented Big Data, and its ability to study and predict employee behaviour, to gain competitive advantages. One of the most popular tools is People Analytics:

We have identified three fundamental challenges that companies must carry out, to fully benefit from utilising Big Data within Human Resources.

1. Establish yourself as a secure management system by implementing both preventative measures, that perform comprehensive and large-scale monitoring of website traffic, as well as the application of algorithms to identify foreign access routes.
2. Increase transparency in the use of data by adapting to the new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) by updating your privacy policy.
3. Optimise the quality standards of the tools to be used to ensure that the information is accurate, reliable, comprehensive and accessible.

What are the advantages? You can review and analyse team performance and satisfaction

People Analytics provides a wealth of advantages for the Human Resources department; advantages that have a direct impact on processes and result in a more successful decision-making system, that is based on real and demonstrable data. One that leads to fairer and more optimized talent management. The most notable benefits include:

• Insight into team productivity. Thanks to the monitoring, analysis and exchange of data related to objectives and performance, companies are able to gain key insights into their teams’ performance. One thing to keep in mind is that People Analytics has to be managed from a “how is the team contributing to the process?” point of view rather than, “what are their competences or skills?”. It is also useful when it comes to internal promotion processes and when establishing more flexible compensation schemes, based on individual performance.

• Improvement of the recruitment process. The large amount of data extracted from CVs and other external sources, such as LinkedIn, can be harnessed to achieve more strategic and analytical recruitment processes. It is also possible to complete the selection process by launching simulated assessments in which, by mimicking specific scenarios that are encountered in the job role that the company is recruiting for, the capacity and quality of the candidate’s decision is verified in real time.

• Detection of the level of employee satisfaction. With surveys it is possible to know if the work team is motivated or not and if the development opportunities offered are being taken advantage of. Here, anonymity is key. This highlights problem areas, provides insight into what causes loss of talent (Attrition), and shows, with sufficient margin, how many employees are considering leaving the company and why.

• Get to know what interests your employees and the connections between them. Developing a company-wide social network is an excellent resource that can be used to analyse; topics of interest to employees, generated connections, knowledge nodes, levels of collaboration and talent detection. The data generated on this network will be both quantitative and qualitative, allowing the company to identify the most productive forms of interaction, and to get to know their team better.

• Training and development of tailor-made careers. Each employee’s individual data profile helps to establish personalized training programs and gives each person the opportunity to manage their professional career. The benefits of advanced analytics are seen in how it equips employees with the ability to perceive their own suitability for particular job roles or career paths. This, in turn, reduces job dissatisfaction and improves productivity.

• Allowing Human Resources to dedicate more attention to what matters. Human Resources managers typically allocate about 80% of their time to administrative tasks. With Big Data, more time can be spent expanding on valuable tasks, such as talent management, career development and training. This would undoubtedly improve the connection between the Human Resources department and the strategic objectives of the company.

Talent retention is one of companies’ top priorities, and more so when it comes to digital profiles. 9 out of 10 jobs already require technological knowledge and the demand for ICT employees is growing at an annual rate of 3%. By 2020, there will be a shortage in the European labour market of up to 900,000 professionals with experience in certain digital disciplines, according to data from the European Union’s IMMUNE Report. As a consequence, the connected employee has become a company’s most important asset.

Companies are implementing employer branding strategies to improve how these employees perceive the company from the minute they join. Measures that improve digital professionals’ experience are essential for gaining employee loyalty, which is why workers’ initiative is favoured when it comes to contributing ideas, rigid corporate protocols are being softened and more benefits are being offered in exchange for greater commitment.

What are the 4 reasons why the connected employee has become a company’s most important asset?

1. They contribute to improved branding on Social Networks. The presence of the digital employee on social networks shouldn’t be taken lightly and should be seen by the company as an opportunity, as a channel that can attract new talent to the company. It is key that these interactions come from the employees’ own initiative and that they do it by sharing photos at work, of company products or teambuilding activities.
2. The concern for emotional intelligence is constantly increasing. The development of corporate strategies that focus on employee wellbeing makes them happier at work. Connected employees want to improve their work-life balance through the technological tools they use in their private life.
3. Their high performance guarantees higher productivity. In addition to emotional wellbeing, digital employees need an environment adapted to their abilities that allow them to achieve more effective results. It is essential that they have autonomy and the necessary technological tools. In this sense, performance assessments that verify the correlation between the functions and the skills of the connected employee, allow for the evaluation of their possibilities. If you get a good combination of both factors, your productivity will improve.
4. They are creative and easily adapt to new tasks. Company digitalisation requires being in a state of constant change, meaning that digital employees carry out their tasks while facing continuous problems which they have to respond to in a creative way. These situations mean that on certain occasions they have to take on additional tasks to those they normally have, which makes being a connected and flexible worker a plus for companies.

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