Closing the gap between taught skills and practical needs in cyber security

Closing the gap between taught skills and practical needs in cyber security

Session teaser

Cybersecurity impacts every one of us, and its effectiveness hinges on public awareness and vigilance, and diversity in workforce skills and technological responses. Building on research conducted by IS3C in 2021-2022, we invite you to this 45-minute event to express your views alongside those of panellists on how to bridge the gap between the needs of the cybersecurity industry and the lack of motivation for and know-how of young people entering the cybersecurity workforce.

Session description

International research into the skill gap in cyber security education in 2021 – 2022 highlighted major challenges to secure connectivity. It defined factors undermining the effectiveness of the cybersecurity industry, and recommends practical ways forward to increase cybersecurity for all. Recommendations range from improved collaboration between industry and tertiary education sectors for more performant graduates, to upgrading school curricula to foster in young people a deeper understanding of the structure and functioning of the technology they use. Through interviews and a survey, the study reached 65 countries worldwide, and highlighted broad-ranging good practices that illustrate the importance of developing a cybersecurity hub where stakeholders can share experience and knowledge. Cybersecurity evolves very rapidly, and people from different areas need to be encouraged to share knowledge, skills, and expertise to bridge the silos that are currently slowing down progress.

In this flash session the concept of this cybersecurity hub is introduced. The hub will have a clear goal: How can the recommendations of the international study conducted by Janice Richardson, et al, within the context of IS3C, be integrated into everyday practice? Experts from industry, business, government, civil society and tertiary education establishments are invited to discuss the hub’s context, as a starting point to work towards the adoption of the needs of industry and the cybersecurity sector into (tertiary) cybersecurity education.

Participants will be asked to share their view on: What should be the hub’s priorities?; Who should be involved and how can it be rendered rapidly effective?; What topics should it tackle? They will debate, vote on and prioritize these.

The input will provide the input for the broader issues, tackled while working towards the IGF in Kyoto:

1) How to improve tertiary cybersecurity education?;

2) How to diversify the cybersecurity workforce with a focus on women and young people, both currently under-represented in the cybersecurity sector and;

3) How to adapt education in general to better meet the challenges of the digital transformation.

The report “Closing the gap between the needs of the cybersecurity industry and the skills of tertiary education graduates” is considered the starting point of this discussion. You find it here: https://is3coalition.org/docs-category/research-reports/

Format

This session is an open consultation of the workplan of IS3C’s working group on education and skills for 2023 and beyond. The goal is to start a cybersecurity hub with a focus on cyber security education and the closing of the skills gap between offer and demand. After two short introductions, the room will be interactively engaged around a few questions that are presented through an online tool. On the basis of the answers those present are actively invited to share their views and expertise. The outcomes are input for the next phase in the development of the hub.

People

Key participants

Please provide name and institution for all people you list here.

• Janice Richardson, InS!ght SA, chair IS3C working group on education and skills
• Wout de Natris, IS3C coordinator

REGISTER FOR EURODIG HERE: https://www.eurodig.org/get-involved/register-for-eurodig-2023/