2022 is in the rearview mirror, but the bigs news and trends from cybersecurity -- both as an industry and as a job market -- will be around for a lot longer. Let's unpack the biggest items from the last year!

Cyber Attacks and Threats Are Not Going Anywhere

Cybersecurity attacks are still on the rise. Companies, non-profits, governments, and entire countries came under sustained cyber attacks in 2022, with everything from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the associated cyber component, all the way to the DDoS attack on Google, one of the largest attacks of its kind in history.

The US Federal government has also introduced new regulations regarding cybersecurity incidents, and major insurance carriers are rethinking the types of cyber attacks that they will insure against as they grapple with the costs of breaches. Both of these developments bode well for a strong cyber job market. 

Read More:

• The Washington Post: "Hackers Had a Banner Year in 2022. US Regulators Aim to Slow Them Down in 2023."
• Cyber Security Hub: The biggest data breaches and leaks of 2022
• Forbes: 2022 In Review: An Eventful Cybersecurity Year

The Business of Cybersecurity is Growing

Even as the economy cools overall with fears of a looming recession, venture capital continues to pour money into cybersecurity focused start-ups. And the big players are making moves, too. Google acquired cybersecurity powerhouse Mandiant for $5.4 Billion, in addition to spending $500 Million to acquire Siemplify. Both are moves to compete with Microsoft Azure by adding in a sizable security footprint for Google's cloud offering.

Read More:

• Security Week: The Five Stories That Shaped Cybersecurity in 2022
• TechCrunch: Google closes $5.4B Mandiant acquisition

The Cyber Job Market Continues to be Strong

The cybersecurity talent gap continues to be a massive challenge for the global economy. The number of open roles continues to outpace the amount of available cybersecurity talent, which continues to be great for workers and for those who are looking to join the industry. As measured by (ISC)², the talent gap grew between 2021 and 2022 by 26.2%.

Even with news of mass lay-offs at large tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft, the total number of cybersecurity job postings increased 30% between Q3 2022 and Q3 2022. "Demand for cybersecurity talent has been accelerating for years, and employers are showing no signs of taking their foot off the gas," said Will Markow, vice president of applied research at Lightcast.

• PR Newswire: Cybersecurity remains one of the most in demand professions, new data from CyberSeek confirms
• Security Magazine: Growing cybersecurity skills gap necessitates human factor security

The Bottom Line

As we bid 2022 a fond farewell, the outlook for cybersecurity from a career standpoint continues to be incredibly strong. Companies and organizations simply can't afford to not have a robust cybersecurity presence, and with the cybersecurity talent gap growing, 2023 might be the perfect year to make a switch and get started!