Page 8 - EngineerIT July 2022

ICT – CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity skills survey

highlights opportunities for

diverse talents in South Africa

By: Carlo Bolzonello, country lead for Trellix in South Africa

ore than half of cybersecurity professionals agree that people don’t need a skills challenge, but there are multiple
university degree to have a successful career in cybersecurity, despite 85% of ways to address the various challenges.
Mthose professionals holding degrees related to IT or computer science technology. Those surveyed recognised that their
Forty-five percent of those surveyed reported working in careers and professions own organisations could be doing more to
other than cybersecurity in the past, although more than half had roles in more general encourage more people into the industry,
information technology environments. including broader recruitment drives,
That’s according to research into the cybersecurity industry talent shortage conducted community mentoring in schools, and
on behalf of Trellix which offers an extended detection and response (XDR) approach being more open to considering
to protecting private and public entities from cybercriminals. job applicants from non-
The cybersecurity world changes so quickly that it’s difficult to study the Success traditional cybersecurity
theory in a university and then apply that knowledge in the working world. in cybersecurity backgrounds.
Success in cybersecurity needs an inquisitive and analytic personality, needs an inquisitive and I, as a self-taught
along with the ability to remain composed and calm under pressure. analytic personality, along cybersecurity specialist,
This makes a career in cybersecurity a potential opportunity for those with the ability to remain believe that many local
among South Africa’s high unemployment statistics, who may otherwise companies are cautious
not have considered the field because they believed it requires formal composed and calm to invest in cybersecurity
education that they may not be able to afford. under pressure. skills development
As someone who started his career in cybersecurity by working in a because, with demand for
computer retailer – and who does not have a university degree but has a number expertise being so high, they fear
of industry-specific qualifications, I encourage South Africans to consider a career in that newly skilled workers will leave for
cybersecurity. greener (better paid) pastures as soon as
South Africans are world-renowned for their strong work ethic, and their willingness to they’re qualified.
take on any task, even if it falls beyond their job description. We’re also naturally curious Companies need to constantly review
and determined to find a work-around to just about any situation – all attributes that make salaries against market rates to retain
a strong cybersecurity professional. skills, but they also need to remember
Respondents to the survey describe a career in cybersecurity as ‘purposeful and that the fast-changing nature of this
motivating’, with more than half choosing the sector because it is progressive and sector means that some of the best
constantly evolving, and they enjoy exploring challenging new trends. Four in ten experts in the game are self-taught,
emphasized the relevance of cybersecurity as business, industry and government become without any formal certifications. Insisting
increasingly digitally platformed, with one in five saying that they had chosen the field on remunerating people based on their
because they value doing something that helps society for the greater good. qualifications is counter-intuitive in this
Despite these motivations, a little more than one third of the professionals surveyed field – people should be remunerated
felt that there’s a lack of recognition among society for the importance of the work they do. based on their skills and experience too.n
More than 90% of cybersecurity professionals emphasise that there is a skills gap
in their profession, despite a growing demand to fill security-related roles, while more The research was done by Vanson Bourne,
than one third note that there is limited support when it comes to the qualifications and an independent specialist in market
certifications required to enter the industry. research for the technology sector.
It’s inspiring to see that 92% of cybersecurity professionals believe that greater Their reputation for robust and credible
mentorship, internships, and apprenticeships would encourage more diversity in research-based analysis is founded upon
cybersecurity roles rigorous research principles and their
They also believe that the three most important steps towards encouraging new ability to seek the opinions of senior
candidates in the industry are raising awareness of cybersecurity careers, encouraging decision makers across technical and
students to pursue STEM-related careers throughout their education journey, and more business functions, in all business sectors
funding to support learning. It’s clear that there’s no single quick fix to the cybersecurity and all major markets.

EngineerIT | July 2022 | 6