Survey: 53% of UK Companies Willing to Hire Hackers, Experts With Criminal Records

A new survey conducted by the professional services company KPMG found that an overwhelming number of IT and HR managers of UK companies are more willing to keep their data secure.

It turns out 53 percent of IT and HR managers of companies with at least 500 employees would consider hiring a hacker – and 52 percent would overlook criminal convictions in an effort to hire the appropriate cybersecurity experts. The survey also found that 70 percent said their company didn’t have acceptable privacy and data protection knowledge, a frightening realization as sophisticated cyberattacks continue to increase.

Private sector companies continue to struggle in their efforts to keep corporate data secure, and customer data also is being compromised at a rising rate. It’s also becoming difficult to recruit and retain cybersecurity specialists, as these specialized workers have the ability to command high salaries from a growing number of companies. There is a new level of desperation among companies, universities, and government agencies trying to prevent cyberattacks, as the number of data breaches pile up. If recruiting hackers or candidates with criminal convictions help widen the candidate pool, then it could be worth the risk.

(Image courtesy of Huffington Post)