industryopinion
Upskilling the workforce to be tech-savvy against cyber attacks
Julie Nugent, Director of Productivity and Skills, West Midlands Combined Authority explores how digital skills bootcamps will have a significant role to play in developing tech talent.
T
he pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way businesses will operate in the long term. However, as we soon enter our third year of wholesale remote working practices, it is evident that
highly capable and opportunistic individuals are exploiting our new digital-first environment, with cyber-attacks on the rise. Tis is a serious issue. Particularly when we consider that
cybersecurity is one of the most acute areas of concern within the wider digital skills shortage. A report by global recruitment firm Harvey Nash found that cybersecurity is the most sought-aſter tech skill in the UK, with nearly half (43%) of the 823 UK digital leaders surveyed stating they had a shortage in this area. Indeed, cybersecurity shortages are not solely a UK problem,
with one study of global businesses estimating that while additional 700,000 cybersecurity professionals entered the workforce in 2021, the gap between the number needed and the number available stands currently at 2.7 million. Meanwhile, at the start of the year, the UK government released the
first-ever National Cyber Security Strategy. Despite failing to draw much attention amid a saturated news cycle, the strategy highlights desperately needed plans to strengthen the cybersecurity landscape. Indeed, a key focal point of the report is upskilling at all levels to solve the shortage problem.
Consequences of cybersecurity breaches While the shortage of workers trained in up-to-date cybersecurity skills is clear to see, it is important to remind ourselves of the potential consequences of not rectifying the issue. According to the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey,
four in ten British businesses came under virtual fire last year, and just over a quarter of UK-based charities fell victim to cyber-attacks. Meanwhile, in 2020, 46% of SMEs reported cyber security breaches, costing an annual average of £8,170 for lost data or assets. Meanwhile, outside of the immediate financial ramifications of
losing data and assets, cyber breaches bring additional headaches for businesses. Tis includes the wasted time and effort spent recovering from an attack and potentially even the loss of a business contract or customer trust. Furthermore, cybersecurity has become increasingly relevant on
the international stage; only recently were UK organisations urged to bolster their defences amid fears of cyber-attacks linked to the conflict in Ukraine.
16 | April 2022 From reputational damage and financial costs for businesses, to
issues of national security, the need to address the cybersecurity skills shortage could not be any greater. Indeed, to stay ahead of such threats, employees need to know how to identify and resolve them – and this applies not only to specialists in the cybersecurity field, but the workforce as a whole.
Upskilling as a society What is clear from the government’s Cyber Security Strategy is that a whole-society approach is needed. Securing data and IT systems requires a workforce that is
comfortable with the technology and processes available to them. When considering the lack of tech skills in the UK, it is unsurprising that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found that 90% of cyber data breaches were caused by user error. Tis underscores the importance of training across all sectors.
Although expanding the cybersecurity sector by training talent with advanced tech skills is vital; it is equally important to ensure companies have individuals outside of tech positions with practical training in cybersecurity. Furthermore, concerted efforts must be put in place to attract
and train up a diverse talent pool in cybersecurity. Currently, women account for only 16% of the UK’s cybersecurity workforce, highlighting a worrying lack of opportunities for all, not uncommon within the digital sector. Independent of a cybersecurity skills shortage, this is concerning; but notably so when one considers the positive effects that higher participation would have in bridging shortage gaps. Te question, then, is where can this training come from?
Naturally, schools and universities have an important role to play in providing young people entering the workforce with cybersecurity education. Investing in young people is critical to the UK’s future cyber capabilities. However, it would be both unfair and unrealistic to assume the education sector can tackle this independently. Instead, public and private sector collaboration will be required
to implement other training avenues – digital skills bootcamps are a prime example of this. Digital bootcamps are accessible, flexible courses for adults aged
19 and over who are either in work or recently unemployed. Te bootcamps, which typically last for anything between 12 and 16 weeks, give people the opportunity to build sector-specific skills.
www.pcr-online.biz
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