February 7, 2024 at 03:38PM
A recent survey by Kaspersky of 1,012 infosec professionals revealed that opinions are divided on the usefulness of cybersecurity education. 50% found their higher education somewhat to not at all useful, while the other half rated it as very to extremely useful. The study also indicated a potential skills gap and lack of practical experience among instructors.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
1. Kaspersky’s survey of 1,012 infosec professionals across 29 countries revealed that there’s a divide in the perceived usefulness of higher education for cybersecurity. Half the professionals found their cybersecurity knowledge from higher education to be very or extremely useful, while the other half found it to be not at all, slightly, or somewhat useful for their day jobs.
2. The breakdown of education background showed that 43% of polled cybersecurity professionals actually studied information security as part of their official curriculum, which may better explain the 50-50 split on usefulness.
3. There is a concern about the fast pace of technology advancement in the IT security industry, leading to knowledge becoming outdated by the time students complete their education.
4. A significant number of respondents disapproved of the real-world experience of their college or university professors, highlighting a possible skills gap in the IT security industry with a shortage of qualified instructors who have practical industry experience.
5. Around half of the respondents rated the availability of infosec courses in higher education institutions as poor or very poor, which jumps to 83% for professionals with between two and five years of work experience.
These are the main points to consider from the meeting notes. Let me know if you need further details or analysis.