ICT Security Specialists

ANZSCO ID 262112

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
4,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
92%
Female Share
14%
Average age
39

Summary

ICT Security Specialists establish, manage and administer organisation's ICT security policies and procedures to ensure preventive and recovery strategies are in place, and to minimise the risk of internal and external security threats.

Specialisations: Information Technology Security Manager.

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as network security, computer science or cyber security) is usually needed to work as an ICT Security Specialist. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. There are also a wide range of vendor and industry certifications available that may substitute for formal qualifications.

Tasks

  • Accepts responsibility for the processes, procedures and operational management associated with system security and disaster recovery planning.

  • Liaises with security vendors, suppliers, service providers and external resources.

  • Analyses, recommends, installs and maintains software security applications and monitors contractual obligations, performance delivery and service level agreements.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Database & Systems Administrators & ICT Security, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 92% of people employed as ICT Security Specialists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 26 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
28.0%
2
Public Administration and Safety
23.9%
3
Financial and Insurance Services
16.4%
4
Information Media and Telecommunications
7.5%
5
Other industries
21.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

35.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

11.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

5.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

11.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State ICT Security Specialists All Jobs Average
NSW 35.5 31.6
VIC 30.4 25.6
QLD 11.8 20.0
SA 4.7 7.0
WA 5.4 10.8
TAS 0.5 2.0
NT 0.3 1.0
ACT 11.4 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
39
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
14%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of ICT Security Specialists is 39 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 14% of the workforce. This is 34 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket ICT Security Specialists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.7 5.0
20-24 3.9 9.3
25-34 27.7 22.9
35-44 36.6 22.0
45-54 21.8 21.6
55-59 5.2 9.0
60-64 2.6 6.0
65 and Over 1.6 4.2
Median Age 39 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as network security, computer science or cyber security) is usually needed to work as an ICT Security Specialist. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. There are also a wide range of vendor and industry certifications available that may substitute for formal qualifications.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Information and Communications Technology VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification ICT Security Specialists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 23.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 40.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 12.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 8.8 21.1
Year 12 11.6 18.1
Year 11 1.3 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Database & Systems Administrators & ICT Security who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong computer literacy.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 54%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 54%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 52%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 50%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 46%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 46%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 45%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 41%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 39%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 39%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 91%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 70%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 69%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 62%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 58%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 55%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 54%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 51%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 50%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 48%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 47%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 46%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 46%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 45%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 37%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 28%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 27%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 27%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 26%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 25%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 57%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 39%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 36%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 34%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 85%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 77%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 75%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 75%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 73%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 73%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 70%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 68%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 68%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 67%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 65%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 65%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 65%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 64%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 60%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 60%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.

  • 58%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 47%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 76%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 67%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 97%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 94%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 87%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 84%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 81%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 79%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 73%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 73%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 72%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 63%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 59%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 58%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1122.00 - Information Security Analysts.


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