Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 61 | Page 74

FINAL WORD

Why a career in cybersecurity is more exciting than you might think

As of 2021 , the global talent shortage in technology and cybersecurity already amounted to 40 million skilled workers worldwide . By 2030 , the global talent shortage is predicted to reach 85.2 million workers . This means that companies worldwide risk losing US $ 8.4 trillion in revenue because of the lack of skilled talent . This gap is keenly felt in security . Anthony Webb , VP International , A10 Networks , firmly believes that the future of security will only be as strong as tomorrow ’ s talent .

Back in 2019 , I wrote an article about the talent shortfall in technology and cybersecurity . Unfortunately , since the pandemic , that gap has only widened . As of 2021 , the global talent shortage already amounted to 40 million skilled workers worldwide . By 2030 , the global talent shortage is predicted to reach 85.2 million workers .

This means that companies worldwide risk losing US $ 8.4 trillion in revenue because of the lack of skilled talent . This gap is keenly felt in IT security . I firmly believe that the future of security will only be as strong as tomorrow ’ s talent . And as the talent gap continues , companies need to get creative about how and where they find the next cyber expert .
Cybersecurity as a career option
While the cybersecurity industry is a fantastic and dynamic place to work , unfortunately , many are not aware the industry exists as a career option . Therefore , vendors need to do more to attract talent into the sector . This industry has very low unemployment , and as mentioned above , many countries have a deficit of employees . It is a very fast-moving and exciting industry , but sometimes I feel like a lone crusader when I talk about the benefits of this industry to new talent . I think many are not aware that there are specific university degrees in cybersecurity , so it is overlooked as a natural career choice to pursue . In the
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