editor’s question
Although there are more
than a million cybersecurity
positions available worldwide
and the demand for cybersecurity
experts has grown three times faster
than any other IT role.
SCOTT MANSON,
CYBERSECURITY
LEAD – MIDDLE
EAST AND
AFRICA, CISCO
W
e live in an
era where
cyberattacks
are increasingly
sophisticated
and discrete and
the technology
and tactics used by criminals has
outpaced the ability of IT and security
professionals to address these threats.
This major gap in the
cybersecurity skills
problem lies in the
disconnect between
the perception and
reality of security
preparedness.
28
The global shortage of skilled
cybersecurity professionals is set
to continue to grow at rapid pace in
2018, putting public and private sector
organisations at risk. According to the
Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report,
there is currently a deficit of one million
security practitioners, increasing to
two million by 2019 and as many as
4.5 million specialists will be needed to
combat this ever-growing and constantly
evolving threat.
This major gap in the cybersecurity
skills problem lies in the disconnect
between the perception and reality of
security preparedness. While many Chief
Information Security Officers (CISOs)
believe their security processes are
optimised – and their security tools are
effective – we believe that their security
readiness likely needs improvement.
This disconnect, along with rapidly
evolving regulatory requirements and
networking technology, further widens
the cybersecurity skills gap. Matters
don’t get easier if you throw Internet of
Things (IoT) into the mix.
As the IoT gains more traction, the
lack of basic security standards in IoT
devices will exacerbate the security
skills gap. By 2030, it is projected
that 500 billion devices and things
will be connected to the Internet. In a
world where everything is connected,
There are more than a
million cybersecurity
positions available
worldwide and
the demand for
cybersecurity experts
has grown three
times faster than any
other IT role.
everything is also vulnerable and
our increasingly digital world is
more exposed to cyberattacks and
cyberespionage than ever before.
These attacks are dramatically impacting
businesses — their bottom line,
customers and often their most prized
asset, trust and integrity.
According to the recently launched
Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report,
more than half of all attacks resulted
in financial damages of more than
US$500,000. Defending against the bad
guys has never been as challenging and
as rewarding as it is now.
According to the Cisco 2018 Security
Capabilities Benchmark Study, a shortage
of qualified candidates was again one
of the top three obstacles to security,
with 27% citing a deficit of trained
professionals as an obstacle (up from
25% in 2016 and 22% in 2015).
When it comes to the skills needed for
digitisation, the Middle East posts one
of the world’s fastest growing skills gap
in IT, security and networking positions.
As digitisation picks up pace across
the region, a coordinated, concerted
effort needs to be exerted to close
this gap, especially as the interest in
new emerging technologies like cloud,
Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and
Blockchain picks up pace.
Issue 04
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