Tech salaries, developer skills, cybersecurity, and more: ZDNet's research roundup

The average tech salary broke six figures for the first time in 2021, according to a report by Dice, highlighting the "continued and sustained" demand for digital talent. The average salary for web developers ($98,912), for example, increased 21.3% between 2020 and 2021.

SEE: Web developer or CTO, which tech jobs have the fastest growing salaries?

The "widespread hunger" for technology professionals might have seen the average salary for technologists hit a record high of $104,566 in 2021, but almost half of tech workers feel they are underpaid. Dice reports that 47.8% of tech workers feel underpaid – a marginal increase of nearly 2% compared to 2020.

SEE: Tech salaries just hit record highs. So why do IT staff still feel underpaid?

The latest IT Skills Report by developer screening and interview platform DevSkiller recorded a 295% increase in the number of data science-related tasks recruiters were setting for candidates in the interview process during 2021. 

SEE: Employers are desperate for data scientists as demand booms

However, almost three-quarters of workers do not feel equipped to learn the digital skills needed by businesses now - and even more do not feel equipped for the future. Salesforce's research found 82% of global workers plan to learn new skills to grow their career.

SEE: 3 out of 4 professionals do not feel ready to work in a digital-first world

Cybersecurity firm Check Point Research released new data from 2021 showing that there was a significant increase in overall cyberattacks per week on corporate networks compared to 2020. Researchers attributed some of the increases to the discovery of the Log4j vulnerability.

SEE: Cybersecurity: Last year was a record year for attacks, and Log4j made it worse

DHL took over the top spot of Check Point Research's list of the most imitated brands among cyber criminals, surpassing Microsoft and Google as the brand used most often in phishing emails and scams. DHL's brand is used in 23% of all phishing attacks, according to the research.

SEE: DHL, Microsoft, WhatsApp top phishing list of most imitated brands

Industry expert Sven Esser explained to ZDNet how digital transformation that improves customer experiences should connect data siloes to produce a holistic view of the customer. He said successful transformation takes place bottom-up, but it also needs top-down support.

SEE: The supply chain: Critical to customer experience

Finally, the NASSCOM Tech Startup Report 2021 highlighted that 2021 was a year of unparalleled growth in the Indian startup ecosystem, specifically in unicorns, funding, merger and acquisitions, and investors. More than 2,250 tech startups were founded, taking the total base to 25,000-26,000.

SEE: The year of tech unicorns: India's startup ecosystem sees record-breaking growth