Youth could plug a widening skills gap, says an IT security product company, as employers seek to combat cybercrime and avert mass disruption to public and private lives. But the industry is failing to provide a clear path for young people to find work, hone their skills, and serve society. Instead, they are being tempted to exacerbate cybercrime, rather than prevent it, it’s claimed.
In a new survey of 12,000 consumers and IT people from across the US and Europe, Kaspersky Lab found under-25s, highly skilled and highly impressionable, are already inured to the shock of large-scale cyber hacks. Their concern only marginally outruns their curiosity, and even regard, for these types of crimes. In fact, 57pc of under-25s consider hacking to be an ‘impressive’ skill and only 35pc of all respondents feel uncomfortable about people who have the skills to hack. Many are already adept at blurring the lines, with a third of under 25s (31pc) able to hide their IP address, for example.
And while one in four (27pc) have considered a career in cybersecurity, with many (47pc) regarding it as a good use of their talent, many others admit an inclination to engage in more questionable activity. Only half (50pc) of under-25s would actually join the fight against cybercrime; a significant number would use their skills for fun (17pc), secretive activities (16pc), and financial gain (11pc) instead.
Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, says: “Industry and education must do more to recruit the younger generation of cyber professionals and the warning signs are clear. The frequency and profile of teenage cyberattacks is growing with each generation’s competency, as well as with the ready availability of ‘malware as a service’.”
Whether masterminds of these exploits or foot soldiers in the pay of criminal gangs, teenager hackers have been linked with high profile cybercrimes in recent years, the IT firm points out – including attacks on US entertainment firm Sony, US retailer Target, UK parenting site Mumsnet, and UK broadband provider TalkTalk. Even agencies tasked with stopping them have come under fire, with both the CIA and the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) targeted by teenage hackers in the UK in 2012.
Kirill Slavin, General Manager, UK and Ireland at Kaspersky Lab says: “Organised cybercrime is no longer just a boardroom headache; it’s increasingly a very personal one, which threatens to disrupt, and potentially embarrass, private individuals in their homes. As recent attacks on Sony Entertainment and Ashley Madison highlight, where very private data was made public, cybercrime threatens to tear at the heart of both public and private life if it is not addressed. Yet, our research demonstrates three things: (i) a desperate skills shortage in information security, (ii) the ability of young people to step into the breach, and (iii) a failure of industry to let those young people take those first steps.”
As it stands, employers are failing to channel young people’s interests and talent in the field, the IT firm claims. Many do not have any entry-level cybersecurity roles; most promote from within (72pc), providing internal training as necessary, and recruit externally (53pc) for seasoned security professionals.
Kaspersky Lab believes more should be done at an employer-level to encourage young people to enter cybersecurity careers as well. Even among IT security professionals, 27pc admit organizations themselves must do more to offer training and graduate schemes. Eugene Kaspersky says: “We understand that Kaspersky Lab, together with our cybersecurity industry peers, shares some responsibility from the industry side. As such our company is addressing this directly by playing an active role in helping solve this global problem. Our recently launched Talent Lab is a prime example.”
