For many years, the cyber security industry has been suffering from a skills shortage. The expanding threat landscape, littered by complex threats and determined adversaries, coupled with the global pandemic that saw entire workforces move to working from home overnight, have compounded the problem.
And there’s no end in sight, with cyber security professionals citing burnout, and growing workloads, as their greatest challenges.
According to Qhakaza Mohare, COO of Digify Africa, companies have become more digitally driven which has also increased exposure to cyber attacks.
“The wide digital skills gap in SA particularly, means that there are still not enough skilled resources to meet the current cyber security demands.”
She says cloud computing skills, in particular, are in high demand.
To address this demand and close the skills gap, Mohare says: “We need to put more effort into growing the cyber security industry. Investment in training interventions for young people who want to pursue this career path can help us build a strong cyber security workforce.”
Mohare, along with Craig Rosewarne, MD of Wolfpack Information Risk, Robin Barnwell, head: Security Strategy at Standard Bank, and Moloti Nkune, CIO of MICT SETA, will be holding a panel on “Addressing the cyber security skills shortage”, at the ITWeb Security Summit, being held this week at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
“Delegates will walk away with a deeper understanding of South Africa’s cyber security landscape and insights into how we can start addressing the cyber security challenges,” she adds.
The panelists will discuss developing a strategy for recruiting and retaining cyber security talent, including the skills, experience and qualities that businesses should be looking for.
They will question unpack what the implications of a continued lack of cyber security professionals on businesses and the economy will be, and outline what training resources are available to small businesses, NPOs and others to assist with upskilling their staff.
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