PH facing shortage of cybersecurity talent

In the Philippines and the rest of Asia, the majority of the companies find it challenging to hire cybersecurity talent due to a skills shortage, which can deal a blow to business operations, according to antivirus software developer Fortinet.

Rashish Pandey, vice president of marketing and communications at the firm, said that 71 percent of respondents in the company’s recent study said they were having a difficult time looking for technology-qualified talents for cybersecurity.

“As more organizations adopt technology such as cloud and automation, the issue of a lack of cybersecurity experts has been exacerbated,” he explained.

In the survey, 79 percent of the companies that have a board of directors suggested having more cybersecurity staff. This developed as the pandemic accelerated the shift to digitalization, including remote working and learning setups, online payments and e-commerce.

With the increasing demand for cybersecurity talent, 63 percent claimed that the “skill shortage results in severe cybersecurity consequences for the business,” Pandey pointed out.

The staff shortage, the study noted, could lead to oversights in process and procedures; failure to be aware of all threats in the network; and lack of time to conduct proper risk assessment and management.

Mario Luis Castañeda, country manager for Fortinet Philippines, observed that young cybersecurity professionals also tend to leave their companies for better pay after receiving some training. “They train these people and after three years, when they are marketable, they’re pirated by other companies,” he said.

“After paying so much to certify their people, they just leave. And for the companies poaching them, it is an easy solution,” he added.