Nafisa Khatoon
According to TechSci report, India’s cyber security market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 8.05% to achieve a market value of $3543.37 million by the year 2027. This will also lead to a boom in the hiring of cybersecurity professionals.
India, however, is unable to produce efficient manpower due to prevailing academic gaps that have impaired cybersecurity education.
“Cybersecurity is all about innovating and putting it to practice. Very few trainers provide such innovative and practice-oriented learning. Also, no standardized curriculum is being followed across institutes, which adds to its dismal state. To prepare students to solve the real challenges at the workplace, the curriculum should mandatorily include simulated security attack scenarios,” says MJ Shankar Raman, chief executive officer, IIT Madras, Pravartak Technologies Foundation, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Cybersecurity involves specialised mathematical fundamentals and demands strong mathematical aptitude among students. “Providing coding skills training in secure programming principles during BTech, MCA years of students will help in bridging the skill gap,” says Raman.
“Cybersecurity courses are not updated and aligned with the latest developments leading to limited practical training and exposure for students. Universities can play a big role to fill the skill gap by collaborating with industry partners to provide comprehensive training and education programmes that equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the field,” says Mohankumar Silaparasetty, head, of Technology Programs, TimesPro.
Highlighting similar reasons, Ankit Gupta, assistant professor, the School of Computer Science and Engineering, IILM University, says, “Several universities and institutes offer cybersecurity courses, but the curriculum and quality of education can vary widely. The lack of standardized cybersecurity education and training programs makes it difficult for employers to gauge job applicants’ knowledge and skill level.”
The problem persists at universities because of a shortage of experienced and qualified faculty members in the field of cybersecurity. Institutes struggle to attract and retain qualified teachers which negatively affects the learning outcomes, adds Gupta.
Cybersecurity is a dynamic field; when one threat is eliminated, a new one takes place. Due to this, the demand for cybersecurity at personal and the corporate level continues to rise. “India is better in terms of skilled manpower than other countries. But we still have a long way to go and our curriculum material requires the necessary upgradation with time. Such courses have to be taught with a more hands-on and interactive approach, paired with on-field experience, to prepare students to learn the right skills for the job,” says Abhishek Mitra, founder, the Indian Institute of Cyber Security.
According to TechSci report, India’s cyber security market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 8.05% to achieve a market value of $3543.37 million by the year 2027. This will also lead to a boom in the hiring of cybersecurity professionals.
India, however, is unable to produce efficient manpower due to prevailing academic gaps that have impaired cybersecurity education.
“Cybersecurity is all about innovating and putting it to practice. Very few trainers provide such innovative and practice-oriented learning. Also, no standardized curriculum is being followed across institutes, which adds to its dismal state. To prepare students to solve the real challenges at the workplace, the curriculum should mandatorily include simulated security attack scenarios,” says MJ Shankar Raman, chief executive officer, IIT Madras, Pravartak Technologies Foundation, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Cybersecurity involves specialised mathematical fundamentals and demands strong mathematical aptitude among students. “Providing coding skills training in secure programming principles during BTech, MCA years of students will help in bridging the skill gap,” says Raman.
“Cybersecurity courses are not updated and aligned with the latest developments leading to limited practical training and exposure for students. Universities can play a big role to fill the skill gap by collaborating with industry partners to provide comprehensive training and education programmes that equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the field,” says Mohankumar Silaparasetty, head, of Technology Programs, TimesPro.
Highlighting similar reasons, Ankit Gupta, assistant professor, the School of Computer Science and Engineering, IILM University, says, “Several universities and institutes offer cybersecurity courses, but the curriculum and quality of education can vary widely. The lack of standardized cybersecurity education and training programs makes it difficult for employers to gauge job applicants’ knowledge and skill level.”
The problem persists at universities because of a shortage of experienced and qualified faculty members in the field of cybersecurity. Institutes struggle to attract and retain qualified teachers which negatively affects the learning outcomes, adds Gupta.
Cybersecurity is a dynamic field; when one threat is eliminated, a new one takes place. Due to this, the demand for cybersecurity at personal and the corporate level continues to rise. “India is better in terms of skilled manpower than other countries. But we still have a long way to go and our curriculum material requires the necessary upgradation with time. Such courses have to be taught with a more hands-on and interactive approach, paired with on-field experience, to prepare students to learn the right skills for the job,” says Abhishek Mitra, founder, the Indian Institute of Cyber Security.
