Kaspersky Lab Raises Alarm Over Critical Cybersecurity Skills Shortage, Says Youth can Bridge Gap - if Industry Lets it - Seite 2

Kirill Slavin, General Manager, UK and Ireland at Kaspersky Lab says: "Organised cybercrime is no longer just a boardroom headache; it's increasingly a very personal one, which threatens to disrupt, and potentially embarrass, private individuals in their homes. As recent attacks on Sony Entertainment (7) and Ashley Madison highlight, where very private data was made public, cybercrime threatens to tear at the heart of both public and private life if it is not addressed. Yet, our research demonstrates three things: (i) a desperate skills shortage in information security, (ii) the ability of young people to step into the breach, and (iii) a failure of industry to let those young people take those first steps."

Today's young IT enthusiasts could hold the key to plugging the widening cyber skills gap, but they need to be encouraged to use their skills in the fight against cybercrime. Frost and Sullivan's latest Global Workforce Survey* predicts a shortage of 1.5 million information security professionals by 2020, on current trends. The survey reveals 93% recognize the profession needs to evolve with the landscape and 87% believe that it is important that young people join the cybersecurity war.

As it stands, employers are failing to channel young people's interests and talent in the field. Many do not have any entry-level cybersecurity roles; most promote from within (72%), providing internal training as necessary, and recruit externally (53%) for seasoned security professionals.

According to the IT industry, the education system has a key part to play in encouraging young talent into the profession and equipping it with the necessary skill levels, with 62% of IT professionals claiming education should be responsible for training up new generations of cybersecurity professionals. Work has started in the education sector already. President Obama pledged $4 billion (7) for computer science in US schoolrooms in January. The UK Government has just announced a 'Post-16 Skills Plan' (8) to put focus on digital skills in higher education. In Europe, The European Commission has set out steps to improve digital skills in Europe, as part of its journey towards a Digital Single Market (9).