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Cybersecurity
CommentHong Kong
Wickie Fung
Wickie Fung

Opinion | Hong Kong firms want stronger cybersecurity, but the city lacks IT talent

  • The city’s digital transformation brings with it a heightened risk of cyberattacks, and businesses and organisations are struggling to hire specialists in the field
  • Nurturing interest in IT careers at an early age through collaborations between schools and companies offers a long-term solution

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Banks, businesses and other organisations in Hong Kong are in need of cybersecurity talent as they digitalise their services. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Wickie Fung
Cyberattacks are now so common that businesses in the US face more than 4,000 hacks a day from ransomware alone. Hong Kong lost more than HKD$2.96 billion from cyberattacks in 2020, and these figures are expected to rise steadily over the next few years.

As organisations set their sights on digital transformation and emerging technologies, cyber resilience and network security will be at the forefront of their minds. Consequently, a new problem has emerged: an acute talent shortage. Recruitment challenges are affecting organisations’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to potential cyber threats.

Cyberattacks are a major concern for businesses and governments alike, as they could compromise sensitive data, disrupt the lives of ordinary citizens, and even jeopardise national security. The rise in hybrid working during the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of the workplace, heightening the risk of security breaches. It is crucial that we have a strong pipeline of talent to support organisations as they navigate the ever-changing digital environment.
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Hong Kong employers are finding it increasingly challenging to recruit in this area. The government’s figures reveal that of the 95,780 people employed in information technology (IT) in 2018, only 1.2 per cent specialised in cybersecurity. It is expected that at least 30,000 software engineers are needed to fill the employment gap in the IT industry. Data scientists, cloud engineering architects and network security engineers are in particularly high demand.
Cyberattacks are on the rise in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Cyberattacks are on the rise in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock Images

A lack of cyber talent is not a challenge unique to Hong Kong. Globally, there is a workforce gap of more than 2.72 million positions, with the Asia-Pacific region facing a shortage of 1.42 million. While those numbers have been declining steadily, it is evident that closing the gap entails a closer partnership between public and private bodies, one that looks at long-term strategies to solve present-day problems, such as introducing cyber programmes to schools from an early age.

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In a sign of a positive step forward, cyber and computer security is offered as a degree programme at Hong Kong Metropolitan University. And students in Singapore are provided opportunities to explore cybersecurity through the Singapore Cyber Youth Programme.

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