With the UAE leading the region in terms of digital maturity , it ’ s no surprise that cybersecurity failure has now ranked as the greatest risk to the country , according to the World Economic Forum ’ s The Global Risks Report 2022 . For businesses in the country , this challenge is exacerbated by an everwidening cybersecurity skills gap .

Organisations have been forced to respond by placing new recruits on the proverbial frontlines of the battle against cyberthreats , many of whom aren ’ t yet up to the task . A global survey of cybersecurity professionals working in enterprise IT organisations conducted by Cyberbit , a provider of a platform for training cybersecurity professionals , found that 41 % use on-the-job training to train new team members . That compares to just over a quarter that provide access to security courses , and 22 % that make use of simulation-based training tools such as cyber labs , cyber ranges , or red vs . blue training . Not surprisingly , only 45 % of respondents said they felt their team was adequately skilled in intrusion detection , while even less ( 42 %) said they adequately understood network monitoring .

In times of urgency and crisis , it ’ s understandable that businesses won ’ t have the luxury of upskilling new personnel to the point where they ’ re hardened veterans . But just as the realisation that cybersecurity threats are only set to worsen dawns , so too must the realisation that the ‘ quick fix solution ’ of placing insufficiently trained staff in demanding roles and then offering them the opportunity to upskill – a recipe for disaster in the long run .

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Toni El Inati , RVP Sales , META & CEE , Barracuda Networks

Poorly trained workers are much more likely to suffer from poor morale . Each security incident that goes undetected for months results in an emotional toll . One of the reasons cybersecurity turnover rates are so high is that many cybersecurity professionals become disheartened . Without the opportunity to ramp up their abilities , these new recruits will constantly find themselves on the backfoot and often in the uncomfortable position of having to answer to management for lapses in their organisation ’ s security posture .

The trouble with training

While it would appear that cybersecurity training for industry professionals offers a simple and effective solution , this doesn ’ t account for the complete picture . Just as it is often stated that no solution offers the ‘ silver bullet ’ to addressing all cyberthreats , training cannot guarantee future success . Cybersecurity threats are evolving faster than training programmes can keep pace with . No matter how talented any cybersecurity professional may be , there will always be days when the bad guys have developed some new technique that has never been seen before .

More challenging still , the need for many of the skills that new recruits are being taught today are likely to become unnecessary in the months ahead as cybersecurity becomes more automated . Advances in , for example , Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) will not replace the need for cybersecurity www . intelligentciso . com

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