Jane Edwards
A survey commissioned by Raytheon, Forcepoint and the National Cyber Security Alliance has found that only 38 percent of millennials said they are willing to pursue a career in the cybersecurity field.
The finding suggests that millennials’ interest in cybersecurity remains unaltered compared with the previous year and that the current percentage of respondents who said teachers and counselors mentioned cybersecurity as a career choice is nearly three times more than in 2013, Raytheon said Tuesday.
“The demand for skilled cyber talent has become a national security issue,” said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon’s intelligence, information and services business.
“While great strides have been made to increase millennial awareness in the cybersecurity profession, there is still work to be done,†added Wajsgras, an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2017.
The survey “Securing Our Future: Cybersecurity and the Millennial Workforceâ€Â conducted by Zogby Analytics is based on the responses of 3,359 young adults aged 18 to 26 in the U.S. and eight other countries.
The study also found that 43 percent of respondents said they think cyber attacks influenced the results of the 2016 presidential election in the U.S.
Fifty-two percent of global respondents said they are aware of the task and responsibilities associated with the cybersecurity profession and 71 percent of millennials surveyed think they are responsible for their online security.
The report showed that 63 percent of respondents worldwide tend to open links even if they are unsure whether such links came from legitimate sources.
The number of U.S. millennials who use public Wi-Fi service for convenience rose from 66 percent in 2013 to 74 percent this year.
