The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Cisco today presented the report “Cybersecurity Workforce Development in the Age of Talent and Skills Shortages” which addresses the problem of the lack of professionals in the sector, which puts the cybersecurity of nations in the region at risk.
The report, which includes a presentation on the current cybersecurity context, concludes by proposing a series of solutions for multi-stakeholder action to promote workforce development and help solve the cybersecurity workforce shortage problem.
Among the proposed solutions:
Education on digital issues for children and youth.
Access to training programs
Clarity on roles and responsibilities for workforce development.
The creation and implementation of national strategies and action plans by governments as a key foundation to drive the development of cybersecurity talent as part of national agendas in Latin American countries.
Based on a detailed analysis of the cybersecurity labor market, the report analyzes the causes of this problem through a triple perspective.
From the supply side, to investigate the reasons why there are not enough vocations in cybersecurity, which have to do with the lack of information and the fact that the information that does exist is sometimes confusing and contradictory.
From the demand side, to delve into how both public and private organizations can reduce their staffing needs by, for example, investing in retraining their workforces.
From the perspective of governments, which are responsible for implementing initiatives to boost the cybersecurity labor market by including specific initiatives within their national strategies and regulatory frameworks.
In her presentation, the Executive Secretary of the OAS Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Alison Treppel, said that “this publication will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening cybersecurity capabilities in the region at a time when Latin America and the Caribbean is a priority target for cybercriminals. To strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem, it is necessary to work in a comprehensive and coordinated manner on workforce development. To this end, all stakeholders must work together to address challenges and challenges in a collaborative manner with the goal of delivering achievable and sustainable solutions.”
For his part, Mario de la Cruz, Senior Director of Government Affairs at Cisco Latin America, stated that “the capabilities, tools and opportunities that Latin America has to consolidate its economic growth, reduce gaps and create inclusion, inexorably go through digital transformation, which cannot happen without the existence of solid cybersecurity foundations at all levels of the population: from digital literacy to the most advanced combat against cyber threats. We have to create that talent.