Demand for qualified experts rises as companies look to protect themselves

China has seen demand constantly growing for cybersecurity and information security talent, even though relevant education has advanced in recent years.

Last month, during the 2021 Cybersecurity Week, held at venues across the country, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a report that showed demand for cybersecurity talent had grown rapidly in the first quarter, jumping more than 39 percent from the same period last year.

Urgently needed personnel mainly covered 13 fields, including security research, security auditing, risk assessment, emergency response and security analysis, the report said.

It found that big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, had high demand for such talent. Meanwhile, a growing number of private businesses were eager to hire security-related employees.

The report also said payment for such work is rising steadily, with the average monthly salary in the cybersecurity industry reaching 22,387 yuan ($3,500) in the first half of the year.

To meet demand, more universities and colleges have strengthened efforts to cultivate cybersecurity talent, such as by expanding enrollment on security-related majors and working with businesses or institutes to create more opportunities for internships, it said.

The report added that students from security academies and people employed in security-related posts have also been encouraged to participate in cybersecurity competitions.

Cai Jingjing, chairman of Beijing Integrity Technology, a cybersecurity business, highlighted the significance of improving talent education through competition.

"What government agencies, companies or social institutions most want are real security problem solvers, and such competitions are virtual battlefields for participants," he said.

As the owner of a company that has hosted more than 340 such competitions, Cai said the frequency and diversity of the events will be increased in the face of new cyberspace security problems.

"The competitions are not just easy games. Instead, they are opportunities for participants to check whether the knowledge they've learned in books is practical, and they are also platforms to exchange technological skills and improve their ability to prevent online threats," he said.

Comparing the competitors to pilots, he noted that frequent competition is a must, "just as all qualified fighter pilots have to be given thousands of hours of flight training before their formal induction".

"In simple terms, cybersecurity competitions are key channels to educate relevant talent, as well as a better way to promote industry development," he said.

Cai urged colleges to update security education in a timely manner and to pay greater attention to the application of such knowledge.

Yin Hao, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, agreed with strengthening the education of practical talent in the cybersecurity industry, and called for greater efforts to find a wide range of talented individuals to ensure that they can satisfy security position needs at different levels.

It will also be necessary to clarify vocational training standards and certification rules in the industry, he said.