{:en}
The human talent deficit in the cybersecurity sector
The acceleration of digital transformation processes and the adoption of teleworking have generated an increase in cyberattacks. While the cybersecurity sector is in growth, presenting an increased rate of 31% compared to an average of 4% for other occupations.
Despite that institutions already offer various education, training, and further training programs, still exists a huge deficit to cover hundreds of jobs, both for the private sector and the public administration.
In the specific case of Latin America and the Caribbean, the academic offer presents a major deficiency, according to the 2020 study on cybersecurity prepared by the OAS and the IDB. Which creates a gap in the workforce of 15%, where most of the professionals who work in the area have obtained their skills through certifications or in a self-taught way and not in a specialized way.
To attract new professionals to the sector and face the shortage of human talent, many programs have been created such as GuidePoint that helps train veterans who leave the military in professions related to cybersecurity or the Public Infrastructure Security Cyber program Education Systems. Which gives students from 5 universities the opportunity to gain experience in real-time data security monitoring or the program launched this year (ISC) 2 that seeks diversity, equity, and inclusion aimed at recruiting more women to the sector.
Having qualified human capital in cybersecurity is essential for any sector as it would provide the necessary confidence for new investments, greater stability, and therefore sustained development; so university and other institutions’ offers must continue to increase since, although it is not a short-term solution, it is important to prepare for the future.
