Is there a shortage of cybersecurity experts in the country?

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AS IT stands, it is true that Malaysia is currently facing a shortage of 7,917 cybersecurity experts as of December 2020.

According to CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, the country’s target is to produce 20,000 cybersecurity-knowledge workers by 2025, in line with the Malaysia Digital Economic Blueprint (MyDigital) aspirations.

To address this shortage, the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Higher Education Ministry are drafting a talent development framework.

Through this framework, the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) Cybersecurity Talent Zone will be utilised as a pilot model, and the framework will stipulate strategies and measures for a productive talent development pipeline into the industry workforce.

It would be based on the estimated forecast of cybersecurity professionals required for the nation within the next five years.

The shortage, according to Amirudin, is due to growing threats with the rapid expansion of data-driven technologies such as the convergence of web, cloud, mobile and the Internet of Things.

Some cybersecurity incidents the country has recorded through last year and this year include cyber harassment, spam, malicious codes, fraud and intrusion.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity management firm Tecforte also said that Malaysia was projected to have an additional 9,020 cybersecurity professional positions by 2026 that needed to be filled.

Small and medium enterprises are a key sector that would need such experts - they employ 48% of the nation’s workforce, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Digital Infrastructure and Services director Wan Murdani Wan Mohamad said.