Latest Raytheon research on millennials finds rising interest in cybersecurity careers

A new survey commissioned by Raytheon in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) reveals that interest in computer-related and cyber careers among surveyed millennials this year was sharply higher than in a Raytheon study performed in 2013.

This data comes as reports show demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing 3.5 times faster than the overall IT job market, and 12 times faster than the total labor market. Furthermore the survey found one in four young adults are interested in a career in cybersecurity, but 64 percent said their high school did not offer the exposure or classes needed to pursue a career in cybersecurity or computer science.

Raytheon released the latest results from its annual cyber study on the 11th anniversary of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and NCSA. The results indicate that the percentage of millennials who received advice or counsel on cyber security careers had increased 23 percentage points.

Based on last year’s survey, 41 percent had received advice and counsel versus 18 percent a year ago. And nearly 40 percent of survey respondents say they are more interested today in careers that involve making the Internet safer and more secure than they were one year ago.

“This study shows that despite the fact that more students are generally interested in pursuing related careers, they often lack the needed skills and encouragement that our educators should be providing to grow the talent pipeline,” said Jack Harrington, vice president of Cybersecurity and Special Missions for Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business. “There is a clear opportunity to help close the gap between the demand and supply for cybersecurity talent with more counseling, training, and collaboration between our high school educators and the private sector.”

“High-profile cybersecurity breaches over the past year have helped raise awareness and brought online security issues into classroom discussions. The technology education gap is closing,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance. “However, our findings once again illustrate there is still a massive opportunity to match the growing interest in cybersecurity with more information as students begin exploring careers and establishing their online presence.”

The survey, released in partnership with the Alliance, also looked at the online behaviors of young adults who are often avid social networking users. For more detail and analysis of the survey findings, please visit the 2014 Raytheon-NCSA Millennial Survey report and infographic illustrating the survey findings.