Cybersecurity a smart career choice for ambitious and self-motivated youngsters

A global shortage of cybersecurity professionals has become so severe that companies are increasingly at risk from hacking and industrial espionage.

Protecting data and defending corporate networks is poised to be one of the most in-demand careers of the future. Yet companies are already struggling to fill job vacancies, and the problem is accelerating.

Regional sales director for Fortinet, Doros Hadjizenonos said, “Every company is going digital, and the first thing they have to ask is how secure are their networks and data. The danger is that cybercrime has grown so huge and lucrative that without enough good guys to keep them safe, businesses and individuals alike are in jeopardy.

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“If a company doesn’t have the right skills, it’s increasing its risk to attack, because you need to put in the right policies and procedures and have the right people to manage the technology. But there is already a massive shortage of cybersecurity professionals in South Africa, and globally there’s a shortage of several million,” said Hadjizenonos.

The idea of a future-proof job with global opportunities makes cybersecurity a smart career choice for ambitious and self-motivated youngsters.

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Hadjizenonos added that enterprises needed to come to the party with internship programmes to get people into the system and invest in them by bringing them up through the ranks.

“A lot of organisations are cutting their training budgets, but it’s critical to maintain training in the latest technologies, and for people with experience to take on interns and ramp them up.”

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