Kaspersky: The Relevance of Formal Education to the Availability of Cybersecurity Professionals

Cybersecurity illustration (photo: Kaspersky)

JAKARTA - In the midst of a shortage of cyber security professionals, information security (InfoSec) experts are asking whether this has anything to do with the formal education they have received.

Many InfoSec experts state that the education system is out of touch with the realities of cybersecurity, resulting in a lack of application in real-life work experiences.

Thus, almost all professionals think that the knowledge taught in formal education is somewhat (14%), slightly (13%) useful or not at all useful (24%) in carrying out their profession.

Kaspersky's latest global research reveals that one in two cybersecurity professionals cannot be sure of the value of their academic years in helping them pursue their profession.

Less than half of respondents said that a college or university program offered them hands-on experience in a real-life cybersecurity scenario as a hands-on project, with 23% answering 'strongly agree' with this statement, and 26% 'somewhat agree.'

Additionally, access to the latest technology and equipment, as well as the quality of internships emerge as the weakest aspects of cybersecurity education in most regions.

As a result, these experts must invest their resources in further training to address the ever-evolving threat landscape and keep up with industry developments.