A new survey projects the federal government IT security workforce will double in size from 27,000 employees currently to more than 61,000 by 2015, in part due to the government’s adoption of emerging technologies such as mobile applications, social media and cloud computing.

The 2011 Global Information Security Workforce Study, conducted by (ISC)2 and Frost & Sullivan, also revealed the three greatest risks to government organizations: application vulnerabilities (73%), mobile devices (66%) and viruses and worm attacks (64%). The survey interviewed 10,413 IT security professionals from companies and public sector organizations worldwide.

“Technologies like the Apple iPad have exacerbated people’s concerns about mobile computing,” said John Colley, managing director for EMEA at (ISC)2. “It [tablet devices] is also very popular with senior executives and it is very difficult for security people to say to them ‘we don’t like that’.”

However, a third of respondents said they did not having a formal policy for unmanaged mobile devices. When it comes to cloud computing, 73 percent of respondents said new skills are required for IT security professionals including a detailed understanding of cloud computing (93%), contract negotiation skills (50%), and the desire for enhanced technical knowledge (81%). Also, 90% of federal respondents believe that the exposure of confidential or sensitive information through data loss or leaks is the greatest concern when moving to a private cloud. More than half of respondents said their organizations are using cloud computing at some level, 16% said their organizations are using public cloud services, and 42% said they use of software as a service (SaaS).

The greatest concern for the surveyed IT professionals was the exposure of confidential or sensitive information through, data loss or leakage (85%). This was followed by significant concern over weak system or application access controls (68%), susceptibility to cyber attacks (65%) and disruption in availability (62%).

“The concern over risks to data suggests that we as a profession recognize the need to master our understanding of how data is used and valued by the business and its customers, said John Colley, managing director of EMEA, (ISC)2, in a release. “This goes beyond understanding the technology and detail of the systems. IT is a tool of the business, and it is the business itself, its processes and the information it uses that must be understood.”

The report noted increasing utilization is helping to drive the demand for IT security professionals.

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Chandler Harris is a freelance business and technology writer located in Silicon Valley. He has written for numerous publications including Entrepreneur, InformationWeek, San Jose Magazine, Government Technology, Public CIO, AllBusiness.com, U.S. Banker, Digital Communities Magazine, Converge Magazine, Surfer's Journal, Adventure Sports Magazine, ClearanceJobs.com, and the San Jose Business Journal. Chandler is also engaged in helping companies further their content marketing needs through content strategy, optimization and creation, as well as blogging and social media platforms. When he's not writing, Chandler enjoys his beach haunt of Santa Cruz where he rides roller coasters with his son, surfs and bikes across mountain ranges.