Page 69 - Cyber Defense eMagazine - September 2017

Meanwhile, OT engineers need to adjust from the hierarchical Purdue model for enterprise
control to a flattened IP-connected world. This is essential to understanding IP networking
protocols and their implications, as well as the importance of sharing data across the
ecosystem.

Statistics from recent reports demonstrate the challenges – and opportunities – that exist on the
IoT workforce front:

• The Internet of Things is creating jobs at such a rate that the IT industry is projected to
grow by 50 percent before 2020. And many of these jobs have new requirements.
• There’s a need to train 220,000 new control engineers every year for manufacturing
plant operations alone.
• There were 1 million job openings last year for cybersecurity experts. And the shortfall of
cybersecurity experts is expected to reach 1.5 million globally by 2019.
• There are just 500,000 developers working on IoT worldwide. So, there is a need for
many more developers as connected devices and applications proliferate in the years
ahead. Some estimate the demand will reach 4.5 million within five years.

Prepare Yourself for the Road Ahead
To position yourself to meet this ballooning demand, identify what IoT skills your employer or
target market is looking for, and then take steps to strengthen your training and skillset to match
the demands of your ideal position. The value of training, skills development and certification
cannot be overstated. Understanding the convergence of IT and OT is fundamental to survival
in the digital revolution, and training offers employers proof of your job-ready skills.

About the Author
Sudarshan Krishnamurthi is a future-focused technology
strategist and industry veteran.

As head of business strategy for Cisco’s education services, he
regularly evaluates the future of technology and its influence on
skills and talent development, working with an industry
ecosystem of like-minded partners.

Throughout his career, Sudarshan has advocated for the
strategic advancement of a technologically connected world,
and is considered a thought leader on the Internet of Things
(IoT).

This passion motivated his involvement with the IoT Talent
Consortium, an industry-wide partnership to address the need
for talent to drive digital transformation.

69 Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2017 Edition
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