‘India unable to fill 30% of cybersecurity jobs due to skill gap’: Report

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Although India had 40,000 job openings for cybersecurity professionals as of May 2023, 30% of these vacancies could not be filled due to huge skill shortage, reported TeamLease Digital, a subsidiary of TeamLease Services.

The demand for cybersecurity professionals has far exceeded supply, causing many businesses to struggle to recruit qualified personnel. Cyber Security skill sets that are in high demand include data privacy, cloud security, AI security, and network security. Soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and collaboration were also most sought after. The top job roles include IT auditor, Information Security analyst, Network/IT Security Engineer/Specialist, Security Testing/Penetration Tester, and Computer Forensics analyst, according to an analysis conducted by TeamLease Digital.

Sunil Chemmankotil, Chief Executive Officer, TeamLease Digital, said, as India Inc. embraced digital infrastructures, the heightened vulnerability to cyber threats necessitates proactive measures. The prevalence of malware attacks, social engineering tactics, and other sophisticated cyber threats require a comprehensive approach to safeguarding our digital frontiers, he added.

For instance, enterprises in the country have experienced over 2000 attacks every week in Q1 2023, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year. The healthcare industry was a prime target, with 7.7% of attacks directed towards it, found TeamLease Digital.

“By staying vigilant and resilient against emerging challenges such as AI-based attacks, IoT vulnerabilities, and metaverse cyber threats, we can fortify our digital landscape and pave the way for a secure and prosperous digital transformation,’‘ he added.