Skills training important to combat cybersecurity breaches

There are more than 2 million vacant positions worldwide in the cybersecurity industry. This skills shortage is contributing to breaches that have resulted in a loss of revenue for many companies.

These were sentiments shared by ITC Secure Chief Executive Arno Robbertse at the launch of a Cyber Security Fusion Centre this month.

Furthermore, the number of cyberattacks on businesses in Kenya, South Africa and Zambia increased by 76% during 2022, according to a report titled: The Evolving Cyber Security Landscape in Africa 2022.

That report showed that cyberattacks against all large enterprises ramped up dramatically. Kenyan businesses reported an 82% increase in such attacks, while incidents increased 62% in South Africa and Zambia.

With a skills shortage occurring amidst an uptick in security breaches, it is imperative to have companies that want to provide solutions.

That includes companies like The Zora Group: a consulting and technology firm that helps provide secured architecture with protection from malware, phishing and other cyber threats or security breaches.

"We conduct penetration testing, vulnerability testing and digital signatures. Furthermore, we provide management and monitoring of your NOC (Network Operating Centre) and your SOC (Security Operating Centre)," said The Zora Group CEO Kgomotso Motshidi, in an interview with Connecting Africa.

Regarding the skills shortage in the sector, Motshidi said the firm has created a cybersecurity skills platform, along with some of the company's partners.

"The Zora Group has partnered with the YES Program which was part of the initiative to provide employment for graduates. The program has granted us interns, who we are training in cybersecurity," she continued.

Moreover, she acknowledged that – because skilled cybersecurity talent comes at a premium – The Zora Group is working toward training young talent so it can compete with bigger companies.

The Zora Group expansion plans

Motshidi added that the company is working toward reaching markets in East Africa, Central Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We are differentiating ourselves primarily in the East African market by starting off by providing the skills base in that market," she said. "This is because the challenges people face in South Africa are sometimes like the challenges in the rest of the continent."

The Zora Group has partnered with the YES Program to provide cybersecurity training to graduates. (Source: Image by Freepik)

The solution they have found when entering these markets is to first provide cybersecurity skills.

"That also creates an ecosystem where we provide the job opportunity but also the training, and that is aligning with the partnerships we have forged on the continent," Motshidi added.

The Zora Group at Cybertech Africa

Motshidi said the company is looking to forge more partnerships when it participates at the upcoming Cybertech Africa, happening at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, on August 1 and August 2, 2023.

The two-day event will gather business, innovation, tech and cyber ecosystems, dozens of companies, startups, top-notch speakers, renowned universities, senior government officials, C-level executives, industry trailblazers and leading decision-makers.

Cybertech's conferences and exhibitions are the go-to places to make business happen and learn about the latest technological innovations, challenges and solutions to threats within the global cyber arena.

Connecting Africa is a media partner for Cybertech Africa.

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*Top image is of The Zora Group CEO Kgomotso Motshidi. (Source: The Zora Group)

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa