Microsoft introduces cybersecurity skills campaign in India, 22 countries

The global cybersecurity workforce was woefully lacking in gender diversity. Leaving women out of the cybersecurity workforce leaves talent on the table and will only hurt these countries’ ability to close the skills gap  

`To help close talent gap; to address shortage of 3.5 mn security professionals globally by 2025’

Bengaluru Microsoft has introduced a cybersecurity skills development campaign in 23 geographies, including India, to address the alarming shortage of internet security professionals. By 2025 there will be 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs available globally, representing a 350% increase over an eight-year period, as per Cybersecurity Ventures, a researcher that tracks the global cyber economy. By that time, India alone is estimated to have almost 3.5 lakh cybersecurity job positions waiting to be filled, both in the private and public sectors. According to Kate Behncken, vice-president and lead of Microsoft Philanthropies, cybersecurity continues to be a significant threat to governments, businesses and individuals around the globe. From supply chain disruptions to ransomware attacks, cybercriminals have become increasingly sophisticated and the threat landscape got more diverse. “These cybersecurity challenges are compounded by a workforce shortage; there simply aren’t enough people with the cybersecurity skill sets needed to fill open jobs,’‘ she added. Microsoft had launched this campaign in the U.S. earlier and now expanded it to India, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K. “These countries have an elevated cyberthreat risk, coupled with a significant gap in their cybersecurity workforces both in terms of the number of professionals employed in cybersecurity versus the demand, as well as a lack of diversity,’‘ Ms. Behncken said a company blog. Further commenting on gender diversity in cybersecurity, she said, the global cybersecurity workforce was woefully lacking in diversity. For instance, in these countries, on average, only 17% of the cybersecurity workforce are females. “Leaving women out of the cybersecurity workforce leaves talent on the table and will only hurt our ability to close the skills gap. And, this isn’t just about equality, but there’s a business case here as gender-diverse businesses perform better,’‘ Ms. Behncken cautioned. According to her, Microsoft is also unveiling a new partnership with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to develop a detailed study on the skills gap in these countries and also to improve the ability to grow cybersecurity workforces through postsecondary education and training.