The Acting Director for Capacity Building and Awareness Creation at the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Alex Oppong has urged Ghanaians to strengthen their technical skills to meet the worldwide surge in demand for cybersecurity experts.
Addressing attendees during the concluding session of a three-day cybersecurity workshop in Accra, Oppong highlighted the vast opportunities in the cybersecurity sector.
“Currently, there’s a gap of four million cyber security professionals globally. With our enhanced skills, Ghanaians can tap into these vast opportunities,” he remarked.
The seminar, themed “Building a Secure Digital Future,” trained 200 participants and was a collaboration between Slamm Foundation and ISC2.
Recent data from Cybersecurity Ventures showed that global cybersecurity job openings have risen sharply by 350% since 2013, from one million to 3.5 million in 2021. This number remained consistent into 2023.
As he emphasized on the importance of continuous learning in this rapidly evolving sector, Oppong congratulated the attendees for their dedication to fortifying their skills.
The CEO of Slamm Technologies – USA, Samuel Boateng, underscored the importance of enhancing cybersecurity education to combat cybercrimes, like the persistent MoMo fraud. In her remarks, Dwan Jones, the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ISC 2, Inc – USA, called for augmented investments and educational initiatives in cybersecurity.
She highlited the necessity to involve the youth, stating that partnerships in training can reveal the myriad of opportunities in the global cybersecurity landscape.
This initiative was part of this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Month and was geared towards significantly boosting ICT and cybersecurity literacy in the West African nation.
