Amanda Finch is one of the UK’s foremost advocates for professional standards in cybersecurity.
As CEO of the Institute of Information Security Professionals – now the Chartered Institute of Information Security – Amanda has worked tirelessly on standards, professional qualifications, and career pathways.
She has also witnessed the industry going through a range of changes, as cybersecurity professionals face an evolving range of threats.
As she suggests, malicious actors don’t stand still, so nor can the defenders. Automation and AI can help, but attackers are using them too. So there will always been a need for trained staff.
We are also seeing longer-term changes in the skill sets needed in cybersecurity. CIISec’s industry surveys suggest communications and project management skills are increasingly in demand, opening the door to those with non-technical backgrounds.
But the industry also faces the challenge of an ageing workforce, and the reality that by no means all organisations buy into the idea of cybersecurity as an essential investment.
Interview by Stephen Pritchard
Amanda Finch, CIISec
