We live in a world that is increasingly becoming more connected, and as it becomes more connected it becomes more inclusive of other technologies both current and new. This in turn leads it to be more accessible to people from all different walks of life – but unfortunately that also means it becomes more accessible to the criminal element. So, as the technological world continues to evolve so too does the threat from those who seek to take advantage of it. Which begs the question: with the evolution of immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) how will these affect areas such as data protection or other forms of cybersecurity?
One firm decided to ask that question.
That company was ProtectWise, a security company that works in the tech and online space. In a study conducted by ESG on behalf of ProtectWise asked 524 technology-savvy millennials and what it termed ‘post-millennials’ aged 16 to 24 years in the United States when asked whether the inclusion of VR technologies would increase their likelihood in seeking a potential career in the field of cybersecurity the results was decidedly positive. With nearly three quarters of the respondents (74%) saying that using VR would be a positive factor in their decision, which otherwise was shown to be lacking interest. Only 9% of all the respondents having an initial interest in the field as a career with 1% already involved within the industry to some degree. It’s something that the analysts noted could be potentially significant.
“Organizations are struggling to fill a shortage in cybersecurity professionals. In fact, a recent survey1 revealed that 45% of IT and cybersecurity professionals say that their organization has a problematic shortage of cybersecurity skills,” explained Jon Oltsik, Senior Principal Analyst at ESG. “Rather than continue to talk about the skills gap, we need to start thinking about how to appeal to, educate, and recruit the next generation entering the workforce. This survey reveals some things that have the potential to attract millennials and post-millennials to jobs which could have a positive impact on the future of cybersecurity.”
In the research (a report of which can be downloaded here) 77% said they would get more enjoyment from VR-based tools compared to desktop-based tools, 74% said VR would increase ease of use and 72% said it would increase their efficiency.
One responder, a 24-yaer old chef commented: “If I had known these tools had been available it would have been something I pursued. Especially my generation, we have a greater understanding of technology, but we’re also very visual, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Seeing things through VR feels like … I’ve experienced it. It’s a great way to train someone, with how immersive it is.”
“Millennials and post-millennials grew up with Minecraft and Xbox, developing skills for spatial reasoning and collaboration in immersive environments that are now second nature,” adds Scott Chasin, Co-founder and CEO at ProtectWise. “As the roles of threat hunter, responder and commander become more defined for enterprise security teams, their characteristics are aligning with these innate abilities, which enable more effective incident response. The cybersecurity industry must evolve
to embrace technologies that attract and empower this next generation of talent.”
VRFocus will continue to bring you news regarding VR and its potential roles throughout the world.
via Mint VR