Results of 2009 (ISC)² Member Career Survey 
*To view any of the fill in the blank results, please contact: 
adalessandro@isc2.org.  

 
In which country are you based?
 
Response
  Answer Options Count
2817
 
answered question 2817
skipped question 0
 
What is your job title?
 
Response
  Count
Answer Options
2817
 
answered question 2817
  skipped question 0

Looking at the last six months, October 2008 – March 2009,

how has your department been impacted by the current
economic downturn compared to the first 9 months of 2008?
Please rank each of the following areas (Questions 1 - 7):

1
Travel budget

  Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
  not at all 22.5% 599
somewhat 36.6% 975
  significantly 39.4% 1050
things are better than they were before the
  1.5% 39
downturn
answered question 2663
  skipped question 154

Page | 1 
 
 

New hires

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 28.7% 763
somewhat 31.3% 835
significantly 36.7% 975
things are better than they were before the
3.3% 87
downturn
answered question 2660
skipped question 157
 

Professional development and training budget

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 24.3% 642
somewhat 39.9% 1054
significantly 34.4% 910
things are better than they were before the
1.4% 38
downturn
answered question 2644
skipped question 173

Purchases of security equipment and technology

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 25.7% 680
somewhat 46.1% 1220
significantly 26.4% 696
things are better than they were before the
1.8% 48
downturn
answered question 2644
skipped question 173

Page | 2 
 
 

Information security budget

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 25.8% 680
somewhat 49.9% 1318
significantly 21.9% 579
things are better than they were before the
2.4% 62
downturn
answered question 2639
skipped question 178

Personnel reductions or layoffs

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 44.7% 1184
somewhat 30.3% 804
significantly 23.3% 617
things are better than they were before the
1.7% 45
downturn
answered question 2650
skipped question 167

Outsourcing of security functions

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
not at all 69.7% 1847
somewhat 21.0% 555
significantly 8.4% 223
things are better than they were before the
0.9% 25
downturn
answered question 2650
skipped question 167

Page | 3 
 
 

How do you expect the economic downturn to affect the areas

below in the remainder of 2009? Please rank each of the
following areas (Questions 1 – 7):

Travel budget

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 45.1% 1167
will worsen somewhat 34.5% 892
will worsen significantly 14.8% 384
will improve somewhat 5.5% 141
will improve significantly 0.1% 3
answered question 2587
skipped question 230

New hires

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 46.4% 1198
will worsen somewhat 24.1% 622
will worsen significantly 16.6% 428
will improve somewhat 11.5% 297
will improve significantly 1.4% 37
answered question 2582
skipped question 235

Page | 4 
 
 

Professional development and training budget

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 45.5% 1176
will worsen somewhat 31.2% 807
will worsen significantly 14.9% 384
will improve somewhat 7.8% 202
will improve significantly 0.6% 16
answered question 2585
skipped question 232

Information security budget

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 53.3% 1362
will worsen somewhat 29.2% 746
will worsen significantly 8.8% 225
will improve somewhat 8.0% 205
will improve significantly 0.7% 19
answered question 2557
skipped question 260

Security equipment and technology purchases

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 50.6% 1300
will worsen somewhat 29.1% 746
will worsen significantly 11.1% 284
will improve somewhat 8.7% 222
will improve significantly 0.5% 13
answered question 2565
skipped question 252

Page | 5 
 
 

Personnel reductions or layoffs

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 52.9% 1362
will worsen somewhat 28.9% 743
will worsen significantly 11.6% 299
will improve somewhat 6.0% 154
will improve significantly 0.6% 17
answered question 2575
skipped question 242

Outsourcing of security functions

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
will stay the same 76.5% 1969
will worsen somewhat 13.2% 341
will worsen significantly 5.5% 142
will improve somewhat 4.2% 108
will improve significantly 0.6% 15
answered question 2575
skipped question 242

Has the downturn affected your security in the following areas

in the last six months (October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009)?
Please rank each of the following areas (Questions 1 – 6):

Page | 6 
 
 

Internal hacks against system

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 80.8% 1983
moderate impact 15.8% 387
significant impact 2.6% 65
situation is better than before downturn 0.8% 19
answered question 2454
skipped question 363

Internal attacks against infrastructure

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 82.5% 2022
moderate impact 14.6% 358
significant impact 2.1% 52
situation is better than before downturn 0.8% 19
answered question 2451
skipped question 366

External attacks against system

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 66.0% 1613
moderate impact 27.9% 680
significant impact 5.4% 131
situation is better than before downturn 0.7% 16
answered question 2440
skipped question 377

Page | 7 
 
 

External attacks against infrastructure

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 69.6% 1694
moderate impact 25.6% 624
significant impact 4.1% 101
situation is better than before downturn 0.7% 15
answered question 2434
skipped question 383

Theft of intellectual property

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 71.4% 1749
moderate impact 22.9% 560
significant impact 4.9% 121
situation is better than before downturn 0.8% 20
answered question 2450
skipped question 367

Fraud/embezzlement

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 71.2% 1745
moderate impact 23.5% 575
significant impact 4.8% 119
situation is better than before downturn 0.5% 13
answered question 2452
skipped question 365

Page | 8 
 
 

Hiring Managers:

Do you have hiring responsibilities?

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
Yes 31.0% 775
No 69.0% 1724
answered question 2499
skipped question 318

Are you planning to hire any additional information security professionals

in the coming year?
Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no 56.0% 427
yes, 1-2 people 32.5% 248
yes, 3-4 people 7.2% 55
yes, more than 5 people 4.3% 32
answered question 762
skipped question 2055

Page | 9 
 
 

If so, what specific expertise are you seeking from professionals? Choose
all that apply.
Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
Access control systems and methodology 34.1% 134
Applications and system development security 33.9% 131
Administration 13.3% 51
Business planning 6.0% 23
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning 23.4% 93
Certification & accreditation 29.9% 117
Cryptography 13.5% 54
Law, investigations, and ethics 9.1% 37
Forensics 15.4% 59
Operations security 41.9% 164
Policy development 22.4% 89
Physical security 8.3% 32
Security architecture and models 29.9% 118
Security management practices 32.3% 128
Telecommunications and network security 30.7% 119
ISO/IEC 17799 (Code of Practice for Information
19.8% 81
Security Management)
Information risk management 40.4% 155
Privacy 10.2% 43
Auditing 27.1% 109
Corporate governance 15.9% 62
Other (please specify below) 8.6% 33
Other (please specify) 46
answered question 391
skipped question 2426

How difficult has it been to find the right candidates for the position(s)
you’re attempting to fill?
Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
very difficult 32.6% 217
somewhat difficult 48.4% 322
not difficult at all 19.0% 126
Please explain your answer 223
answered question 665
skipped question 2152

Page | 10 
 
 

What affect do credential(s) have on your hiring decisions?

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
no impact 4.9% 35
viewed as a disadvantage 1.7% 12
viewed as somewhat favorable 25.0% 180
preferred 49.2% 355
required 19.3% 139
answered question 721
skipped question 2096

Do certified individuals contribute to better security?

Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
Yes 79.0% 565
No 21.0% 150
If so, how? Please explain below. 365
answered question 715
skipped question 2102

If so, which credentials do you feel are most important in

today’s environment? Please list all that apply.
Response
Answer Options Count
514
answered question 514
skipped question 2303

Page | 11 
 
 

If you’re currently searching for a job, what can (ISC)² do to assist you?
Check all that apply.
Response Response
Answer Options Frequency Count
career/resume/interview tips 58.0% 1128
career resources (white papers, Webinars, etc.) 44.1% 860
job matching 66.2% 1282
discounts on (ISC)2 Review Seminars 22.7% 435
recruiter advice/consulations 41.8% 809
more free CPE opportunities 63.3% 1218
more networking events 47.6% 923
other (please explain below) 5.2% 100
Other (please specify) 157
answered question 1943
skipped question 874

END SURVEY RESULTS

Page | 12