Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2019

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Automation is welcome and seen as helpful, yet is currently underutilized
When it came to discussing automation, AI and SOAR solutions in their work, 80 percent of participants
stated that the tools could improve security in their organizations. Also, 65 percent stated that they did
not feel professionally threatened by automation compared to 10 percent who said that they feel
threatened.
Despite this feedback, only 16 percent said that they use some sort of automation in their work, and over
a third (36 percent) stated that they had no plans to use automation at all, despite that it could help them
and improve security.
This suggests that while professionals aren’t worried about automation impacting their jobs negatively
and possibly improving their workload, they still prefer to work manually without the assistance of
automation technology. This could, in turn, contribute to the increased levels of stress and work-life
imbalance reported.
Industry indicates job security
On a positive note, jobs in the security sector have staying power since nearly half (41 percent) of
professionals surveyed have been building a career in the industry for 10 years or more. Seventy-one
percent say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and responsibilities, which is a downturn
from 2018, when 83 percent of respondents reported their satisfaction. Seventy-six percent feel secure
or very secure in their current role. Somewhat unsurprising was that 78 percent of participants said they
would recommend a career in cybersecurity.
Median salaries remain stable and in-line with expectations
Unchanged from 2018 were median salaries, which averaged between $75,000-$100,000. Roughly 71
percent of cybersecurity professionals stated that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their
salary, with the highest satisfaction response rates for those earning between $100,000 and $150,000.
Cybersecurity salary breakdowns by demographics provided interesting insights. While only 9 percent of
participants identified as women, they reported the same average median salary ($75,000 – $100,000)
as their male counterparts. Likewise, while there were less than a dozen participants who identified as
African-American, these professionals reported the highest median salaries based on a racial breakdown.
Caucasian professionals reported an average median salary range of $75,000 – $100,000.