11-12 June 2025
Hall 4, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai
A new report by the World Economic Forum reveals a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals worldwide, with nearly 4 million positions remaining unfilled. The global talent shortage is estimated to reach more than 85 million workers by 2030, and the cybersecurity industry is not immune to this challenge.
The shortage is most pronounced in the Asia-Pacific region, which needs over 2.5 million cybersecurity workers. North America has a workforce gap of 522,000 people, while Africa has only around 20,000 certified security professionals out of its 1.4 billion population. The talent shortage is most evident in China, India, the United States, and Brazil, with an estimated 40,000 unfilled job openings for cybersecurity professionals in India alone.
Factors contributing to the workforce shortage include the rapid evolution of the cybersecurity landscape, outpacing the development of a commensurate workforce, and a lack of diversity within the workforce, with fewer professionals from women, migrants, ethnic minorities, and neurodiverse employees. Other factors include the inability of some employers to compete with salaries offered by other organizations, misalignment among educational programs, the evolving needs of the cybersecurity industry, and a lack of clarity about career opportunities in the field. To address the cybersecurity workforce shortage, the report identifies four key priority areas: attracting talent into cybersecurity, educating and training cybersecurity professionals, recruiting the right cybersecurity talent, and retaining cybersecurity professionals. Recommendations include being flexible and adaptable to reflect the sector’s evolving landscape, offering competitive salaries and benefits, highlighting learning and career-development opportunities, focusing on upskilling and promoting in-house talent, and prioritizing diversity and inclusion.
Source – WEF