Intelligent CISO Issue 13 | Page 21

cyber trends James Lyne, Head of Research and Development, SANS Institute Germany (33%) are more likely to consider IT in their top five careers. Of those interested in a career in IT, creating apps/software was the most likely (61%) area of IT to be chosen, followed by IT system design (52%) and cybersecurity (49%). • Cyber as a feasible career path: Generally, awareness of careers in cybersecurity is low; just 11% of EMEA students (9% in the UK) said they were ‘very aware’ of roles in the sector. Meanwhile, 65% of EMEA students would be more interested in cybersecurity as a job if they knew more about the topic generally. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where cyberawareness is The outlook is more positive however, as there is now wider industry acknowledgement of the importance of engaging the younger generation in cybersecurity, to help plug the skills gap. www.intelligentciso.com | Issue 13 high, 61% and 59% respectively were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat aware’ of career opportunities in cybersecurity. The UK ranked fifth out of the seven countries for careers awareness. • Thirst for knowledge: Whether or not students are aware of the career options available, 81% of students across EMEA said they would be interested in learning more on the subject, as part of their school day, an extra-curricular activity, or both. Again, UK students ranked fifth out of the seven countries surveyed, with just 75% of students keen to explore cyber, compared to 93% in Saudi Arabia, 91% in the UAE and 90% in Germany. • Personal device access: Of those students who rate the devices they own or have access to as very or somewhat secure, there is still a heavy reliance on anti-virus to secure devices (68% of students) followed by students saying they only download trusted apps (56%). Only 27% of EMEA students say they feel able to spot suspicious activity on their device. James Lyne, Head of Research and Development, SANS Institute, said: “With pressure on organisations to find skilled cybersecurity professionals and the uncertainty of Brexit exacerbating the issue, it’s now more important than ever for the UK to develop home-grown cybertalent, rather than relying on other nations to provide that expertise. “The outlook is more positive however, as there is now wider industry acknowledgement of the importance of engaging the younger generation in cybersecurity, to help plug the skills gap. Programmes such as Cyber Discovery, being delivered by SANS for the UK government as part of its Cyber First initiative, are beginning to help address this lack of engagement. “SANS encourages the development and roll-out of such programmes, so that Britain can effectively arm the workforce of tomorrow with the tools they need now to help make the country more competitive and secure.” Meanwhile, Ned Baltagi, Managing Director in the Middle East, SANS Institute, said we are ‘currently on the brink of a cybersecurity crisis’. He said: “By 2020, there will be approximately 24 billion Internet- connected devices installed across the world. “However, reports show that in the next year or two, unfilled cybersecurity job openings globally will run into several millions, meaning we are severely short of professionals to secure all those devices and systems we are putting online. “Given the enthusiasm and aptitude of the iGeneration for digital technologies, the answer to our cybercrisis could lie in enthusing and educating younger generations about cybersecurity now, to arm our future workforce. “The research shows that Saudi Arabia and UAE lead the EMEA pack in terms of awareness of cybersecurity and preference as a career option. The role of parents in increasing the awareness of cybersecurity around connected devices and public Wi-Fi is also indicated. Ned Baltagi, Managing Director in the Middle East, SANS Institute “With the continuing growth in both nation state and everyday cybercrime, both parents and their school-age children are becoming aware of the importance of cybersecurity skills and their role in selecting a career in this field.” u 21