EXPERT SPEAK
WHY EVOLVING HIRING PARADIGMS IS KEY TO SOLVING THE UAE ’ S CYBERSECURITY SKILLS GAP
The burgeoning skills gap is a heavily discussed topic among cybersecurity professionals as they attempt to find a solution to this ongoing problem . Toni El Inati , RVP Sales , META & CEE , Barracuda Networks , says it isn ’ t just training , but rather constant , career-long commitment to upskilling and adapting that will prove to be the hallmark of a top cybersecurity professional .
With the UAE leading the region in terms of digital maturity , it ’ s no surprise that cybersecurity failure has now ranked as the greatest risk to the country , according to the World Economic Forum ’ s The Global Risks Report 2022 . For businesses in the country , this challenge is exacerbated by an everwidening cybersecurity skills gap .
Organisations have been forced to respond by placing new recruits on the proverbial frontlines of the battle against cyberthreats , many of whom aren ’ t yet up to the task .
A global survey of cybersecurity professionals working in enterprise IT organisations conducted by Cyberbit , a provider of a platform for training cybersecurity professionals , found that 41 % use on-the-job training to train new team members . That compares to just over a quarter that provide access to security courses , and 22 % that make use of simulation-based training tools such as cyber labs , cyber ranges , or red vs . blue training . Not surprisingly , only 45 % of respondents said they felt their team was adequately skilled in intrusion detection ,
Toni El Inati , RVP Sales , META & CEE , Barracuda Networks while even less ( 42 %) said they adequately understood network monitoring .
In times of urgency and crisis , it ’ s understandable that businesses won ’ t have the luxury of upskilling new personnel to the point where they ’ re hardened veterans . But just as the realisation that cybersecurity threats are only set to worsen dawns , so too must the realisation that the ‘ quick fix solution ’ of placing insufficiently trained staff in demanding roles and then offering them the opportunity to upskill – a recipe for disaster in the long run .
Poorly trained workers are much more likely to suffer from poor morale . Each security incident that goes undetected for months results in an emotional toll . One of the reasons cybersecurity turnover rates are so high is that many cybersecurity professionals become disheartened . Without the opportunity to ramp up their abilities , these new recruits will constantly find themselves on the backfoot and often in the uncomfortable position of having to answer to management for lapses in their organisation ’ s security posture .
The trouble with training
While it would appear that cybersecurity training for industry professionals offers a
Only 45 % of respondents said they felt their team was adequately skilled in intrusion detection .
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