Without the right cybersecurity professionals in your team, your business may fall victim to the increasing number of cyberattacks in the U.S. Just last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that they received a 69% increase in cyber crime complaints, amounting to losses that exceed $4.1 billion.

As the world goes digital, cities and businesses alike are allotting the necessary resources to hire cybersecurity professionals that can defend them against the rising number of online criminals. So, if you want to protect your organization by identifying and investing in the right cybersecurity professionals, have a read through some of these recruitment pointers.

Assess Your Needs First

Before recruiting employees, examine your company’s necessities when it comes to cybersecurity first. This particular field is made up of various roles, which is why you have to identify the professions that would suit your business’ needs.

For instance, tech startups would benefit from application security engineers who can write, test, and protect software programs. Network security engineers, on the other hand, can implement safety measures on your company’s devices and IT infrastructure. Finally, IT security specialists can analyze the weaknesses of your company’s digital framework and educate your employees on data security.

Look Beyond Their Educational Background

Try to find the right pool of cybersecurity talents by closely examining their educational credentials. Instead of focusing on their degree and alma mater, look into their educational training programs and assess the skills that they may have gained from it.

Given the digital nature of their work, promising cybersecurity professionals now have the option to earn their education virtually. Online cybersecurity degrees are just as competitive as programs from brick-and-mortar institutions because they provide hands-on experiences to students using digital training grounds. These are where they train the offensive and defensive approaches to cybersecurity, a combination of which is absolutely vital to protect organizations. So when recruiting for your cybersecurity team, consider the depth of the knowledge and experience that applicants have obtained from their higher learning, regardless if they earned their degree traditionally or online. Build the right cybersecurity team by recruiting applicants whose training aligns with the needs of your organization.

Examine their Experiences

An applicant’s work experience can help you gauge whether they would be a good fit for your organization. Take the time to interview the candidates and to evaluate their work experience so that you can assess if they would be aligned with your business.

Cyber crimes evolve over time, so you should look for candidates who are skilled and knowledgeable in preventing and mitigating various forms of cyberattacks, such as password hacks, malware programs, and phishing cases. The most promising applicants should also have sufficient experience in IT security as well as in hardware and software programming.

Create a Diverse Team

In cybersecurity, lack of diversity may lead to unfavorable outcomes for your business. Experts recommend that hiring managers look beyond gender, race, and educational backgrounds when recruiting cybersecurity professionals.

A cybersecurity team made up of diverse individuals would foster an environment that encourages innovative thinking and presents various learning opportunities. Furthermore, your business would also benefit from hiring both seasoned and entry-level cybersecurity professionals. The former are knowledgeable and experienced in handling systems, while the latter can have better input regarding recent threats and strategies.

Offer Competitive Salaries and Benefits

Attract top cybersecurity talents by offering competitive salaries and work benefits. The annual salary for information security analysts in 2020 was $103,590 so do your best to match the industry standard, or offer something higher if a candidate has more relevant skills and experiences.

Work benefits can be just as important for cybersecurity professionals. Consider offering a work from home setup, as most of the responsibilities in this role can still be accomplished remotely. Your potential employees would also benefit from learning opportunities within your organization. Since cyberattacks constantly advance, your team and your business would definitely profit from workshops, conferences, and in-house trainings.

Build a competent cybersecurity team by considering educational trainings and work experiences that align with your business’ needs. Most of all, attract qualified professionals from varied backgrounds by offering fair compensation and work benefits.