SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 28 March 2024, Thursday |

Gisec 2022: cyber security sector faces jobs gap of 2.5 million professionals

According to a Microsoft Gulf official, the worldwide cyber security business needs to cover a significant 2.5 million job deficit to keep up with an evolving digital underworld.

Companies face the issue of vetting people for these positions, who must have both forward thinking and up-to-date knowledge.

They should also be prepared to get training on new ways cyber thieves may employ, according to Mohammed Arif, Microsoft UAE’s director of contemporary workplace and security.

“Cyber security occupations are among the fastest-growing categories globally, with a 2.5 million-person shortage. In an interview with The National on Monday at the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference in Dubai, Mr Arif said, “It’s critical that we educate people on the essential new trends and skills they need to have to become a strong security professional.”

According to him, cyber attacks have evolved into indiscriminate and intricate operations that are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to detect.

The most recent example was the cyberattack on SolarWinds, a US IT management business that affected large corporations, governments, and countless individuals across multiple continents.

According to Microsoft research, the disaster underlined the need for increased IT vigilance and more attentive eyes within corporate ranks, and the shortage of staff is putting a pressure on security teams and organizations.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures’ recent analysis, the number of employment opportunities is predicted to reach 3.5 million by 2025. It also predicted that cyber criminal activities would cause $6 trillion in global losses in 2021, rising to $10.5 trillion by 2025.

According to a recent analysis by employment agency Cooper Fitch, a cyber security architect in the UAE might earn anywhere from Dh41,000 ($11,164) to Dh52,000 per month in 2022.

Companies are most concerned about data breaches and catastrophic IT outages, according to Allianz, a German financial services business.
Ransomware was the most popular attack in 2021, and it was merely part of a fast acceleration of cyber attacks that have become more complex, frequent, and damaging, according to Mr Arif.

Companies should cast a wider net and promote more inclusivity in hiring to reduce the already difficult task of finding the right people for the job. According to the Microsoft report, women, who made up barely a quarter of cyber security professions in 2021, have a significant opportunity to contribute to the area.

According to a survey by data analytics firm Cloverpop, “gender-diverse” teams make better business judgments 73% of the time. It said that a team required to have at least one man and one woman to be classified as such.

“By actively extending our recruiting and mentorship of underrepresented groups who can bring so much to the table, we can dramatically reduce the shortfall.”

Mr Arif believes that people should continually be on the learning curve, voluntarily improving their talents. However, it is also the responsibility of company leadership to guarantee that their employees receive the necessary training, or risk cyber crime infiltrating their infrastructure.

“Corporates’ responsibilities are increasingly expanding to include not only safeguarding their infrastructure and users, but also making it easier for their workers to do so,” he said.

Mr Arif stated that Microsoft, the world’s largest software firm, will continue to invest and form partnerships in the UAE’s cyber security industry.

It announced on Monday that it has teamed up with e& – the UAE’s largest telecom provider, formerly known as Etisalat Group – to accelerate innovation and provide customers with more tech-driven goods.

    Source:
  • The National News