Cyber roles account for one in every 17 (5.95%) new KPMG recruits and one in 20 (5.08%) new hires at PwC, while cyber jobs make up 1.99% of EY hires and 1.47% of Deloitte’s, according to research by job site Indeed.

Telecoms giant Vodafone ranks fifth for cyber recruitment, while the rest of the top 20 includes a large contingent of financial and technology firms, with the supermarket Sainsbury’s the sole retailer to make the list.

Indeed reports it has seen an increase of 14.58% in cyber postings per million vacancies from 2017 to 2018, and says most sought after cyber roles can be highly lucrative. All the most in-demand positions offer an average annual salary above the national average of £27,600, with the top five paying a combined average of £45,851 a year.

Leading the way is the role of ‘IT security specialist’, which has nearly three times as much demand among employers as the second placed ‘security engineer’. Behind them are ‘security consultant’ and ‘information security analyst’, with ‘IT auditor’ completing the top five. Of this group, IT auditors are best paid with an average salary of £58,328.

Bill Richards, UK managing director of Indeed, said: ‘By definition accountancy firms need to store lots of sensitive financial information, and they therefore require robust cyber defences.

‘Nevertheless it’s striking that the Big Four dominate all four top spots in our league table of the UK’s most prolific cyber hirers. Another telling observation is how the list comprises entirely of private sector companies as the corporate world builds digital defence lines.

‘The critical importance of their work, the skill and discretion it requires, and strong demand from employers have combined to drive up cyber professionals’ salaries. Cyber security is both a hot topic and a lucrative profession right now.’

Software developer programme

Earlier this month Deloitte announced a pilot digital skills retraining programme for people returning to work after an extended career break of two or more years. This programme is for individuals who are returning to the workplace, having taken an extended career break of two or more years.

The retraining programme comprises a 12-month software developer apprenticeship, beginning with a three month upfront training course with Makers Academy in London, with successful participants joining Deloitte in permanent roles and qualifying for a software developer level four apprenticeship.

The programme is designed specifically for returners without any previous software experience, who are looking to learn new technology skills - including key coding and software developer topics such as databases, coding languages, deployment processes and tools.

The course offers participants the opportunity to retrain, while receiving a salary, and will initially offer 13 places.

Pat Sweet