With the recent launch of the holistic national Cybersecurity Strategy, the Singapore government has identified and aims to address the existing cybersecurity skills gap to meet the growing need for cybersecurity professionals across various industries.
This demand for cybersecurity talent and skills is echoed by a recent Cybersecurity Job Index by ISACA. One of the key findings was that 59 percent of security professionals said that fewer than half of job candidates are qualified at time of hire, approximately 10 percent increase from the previous year.
“The cybersecurity skills gap is quickly turning into a chasm. ISACA’s 2016 Cybersecurity Jobs Index shows that the number and cost of a breach are on the rise, but so too are the number of cybersecurity job openings and length of time it takes to fill an opening,” said Christos Dimitriadis, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CRISC, Chair of ISACA’s Board of Directors.
“It’s a perfect storm that leaves organizations vulnerable—so a greater focus on cybersecurity upskilling is critical.”
The Index also shows that 27 percent of respondents required six months to fill a cybersecurity position, indicative of the growing skills gap in the cybersecurity industry. Similarly, a 2016 survey by specialist recruiter Robert Half found that 85 percent of Singaporean CIOs say they will face more security threats in the next five years due to a shortage of IT security talent.
Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 18% from 2014 to 2024, a full 7 percentage points higher than the average growth rate of all occupations.
To help Asia Pacific organizations address these challenges and assist individuals in advancing their cyber careers, global business technology and cybersecurity association ISACA will host the first CSX 2016 Asia Pacific conference in Singapore on 14-16 November 2016.
