Staff Report
Dubai: Young adults in the UAE are considerably more likely to choose cybersecurity as a career than their peers elsewhere in the world, according to survey.
The survey, commissioned by Raytheon, Forcepoint and the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), also revealed that the UAE has been successful in engaging most youth to try activities that would let them test their interest and aptitude for cybersecurity careers.
For the report, “Securing Our Future: Cybersecurity and the Millennial Workforce,” Raytheon and Forcepoint, in partnership with NCSA, surveyed 3,359 young adults aged 18 to 26 from nine countries across four continents. The annual survey demonstrated young Emiratis consider parents increasingly influential figures for career advice and are confident that their parents would know how to guide them to pursue a career in cybersecurity and educate them on staying safe online.
In addition, young Emiratis hold values that support a strong cybersecurity posture for their nation, saying they think cybersecurity issues are important and offering to serve in national security roles.
A total of 64 percent of Emirati youth have participated in or sought out cybersecurity job fairs, and 60 percent have participated in or sought out mentoring programs in the field.
Survey reported that 96 percent of Emirati youth are confident or very confident that their parents could effectively guide them to pursue cybersecurity careers, compared with 79 percent in the region and 57 percent globally.
The survey, independently conducted by Zogby Analytics, an internationally renowned opinion research firm, aimed to identify the root causes of the cyber talent gap as part of a shared, long-term commitment to building a robust talent pipeline and provide insights into improving cybersecurity across the globe at multiple levels, including individual, organizational, national and global security.
“The UAE has long recognized the importance of equipping young Emiratis with the tools and skills to keep up with modern day opportunities and challenges,” said Shahzad Zafar, Cybersecurity Director, Raytheon International Inc.
“The survey demonstrates the enhanced efforts the UAE has put in place to build the next generation of cyber defenders and safeguard its cyber future.”
Dr. Tod Laursen, Interim President of Khalifa University of Science and Technology added: “We highly value cybersecurity as a subject to prepare young people to navigate through today’s environment of threats and capitalize on opportunities in the field by providing a solid cyber-related curriculum. The results of Raytheon’s survey underline the progress being made and we are confident that we will see more and more young Emiratis pursue promising careers in cybersecurity.”
