cyber trends
James Lyne, Head of Research and
Development, SANS Institute
Germany (33%) are more likely to
consider IT in their top five careers.
Of those interested in a career in IT,
creating apps/software was the most
likely (61%) area of IT to be chosen,
followed by IT system design (52%)
and cybersecurity (49%).
• Cyber as a feasible career path:
Generally, awareness of careers
in cybersecurity is low; just 11%
of EMEA students (9% in the UK)
said they were ‘very aware’ of roles
in the sector. Meanwhile, 65% of
EMEA students would be more
interested in cybersecurity as a job
if they knew more about the topic
generally. In the UAE and Saudi
Arabia, where cyberawareness is
The outlook is more
positive however,
as there is now
wider industry
acknowledgement
of the importance
of engaging the
younger generation in
cybersecurity, to help
plug the skills gap.
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Issue 13
high, 61% and 59% respectively were
‘very’ or ‘somewhat aware’ of career
opportunities in cybersecurity. The
UK ranked fifth out of the seven
countries for careers awareness.
• Thirst for knowledge: Whether or
not students are aware of the career
options available, 81% of students
across EMEA said they would be
interested in learning more on the
subject, as part of their school day,
an extra-curricular activity, or both.
Again, UK students ranked fifth out of
the seven countries surveyed, with just
75% of students keen to explore cyber,
compared to 93% in Saudi Arabia,
91% in the UAE and 90% in Germany.
• Personal device access: Of those
students who rate the devices they
own or have access to as very
or somewhat secure, there is still
a heavy reliance on anti-virus to
secure devices (68% of students)
followed by students saying they only
download trusted apps (56%). Only
27% of EMEA students say they feel
able to spot suspicious activity on
their device.
James Lyne, Head of Research and
Development, SANS Institute, said:
“With pressure on organisations to find
skilled cybersecurity professionals and
the uncertainty of Brexit exacerbating
the issue, it’s now more important than
ever for the UK to develop home-grown
cybertalent, rather than relying on other
nations to provide that expertise.
“The outlook is more positive
however, as there is now wider
industry acknowledgement of
the importance of engaging
the younger generation in
cybersecurity, to help
plug the skills gap.
Programmes such as
Cyber Discovery, being
delivered by SANS for
the UK government as part
of its Cyber First initiative, are
beginning to help address this lack
of engagement.
“SANS encourages the development
and roll-out of such programmes, so that
Britain can effectively arm the workforce
of tomorrow with the tools they need
now to help make the country more
competitive and secure.”
Meanwhile, Ned Baltagi, Managing
Director in the Middle East, SANS
Institute, said we are ‘currently on the
brink of a cybersecurity crisis’.
He said: “By 2020, there will be
approximately 24 billion Internet-
connected devices installed across
the world.
“However, reports show that in the next
year or two, unfilled cybersecurity job
openings globally will run into several
millions, meaning we are severely short of
professionals to secure all those devices
and systems we are putting online.
“Given the enthusiasm and aptitude of
the iGeneration for digital technologies,
the answer to our cybercrisis could lie
in enthusing and educating younger
generations about cybersecurity now, to
arm our future workforce.
“The research shows that Saudi Arabia
and UAE lead the EMEA pack in terms
of awareness of cybersecurity and
preference as a career option. The role
of parents in increasing the awareness of
cybersecurity around connected devices
and public Wi-Fi is also indicated.
Ned Baltagi, Managing Director in the
Middle East, SANS Institute
“With the continuing growth in both nation
state and everyday cybercrime, both
parents and their school-age children
are becoming aware of the importance
of cybersecurity skills and their role in
selecting a career in this field.” u
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