THE Hays Global Security Report 2024 has indicated that among surveyed respondents in Malaysia, 69% expressed the belief that AI will impact headcount in the next five years, which is higher than the global average of 56%.
The report, released by Hays, a specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, explores how cyber security leaders are currently approaching recruitment and retention strategies for qualified cyber security staff, as well as the anticipated impact of AI, and their organisations investment plans.
In a separate poll conducted across six weeks in late 2023, 39% of employees in Malaysia expressed concerns that their company was not embracing AI sufficiently to stay relevant.
This corresponds to the recent poll where only 20% of companies were training their workforce on AI tools, compared to 32% of companies globally.
This is slated to accelerate significantly in the next two years as 50% of companies are exploring plans to train their staff within this period.
Additionally, Malaysia reported a greater focus on upskilling, with 48% of cyber security professionals locally reporting over 6% of budgets being dedicated to talent development compared to 26% globally.
54% of professionals also expect their budgets to increase in 2024, higher than the global average of 40%. Despite this, 92% of local respondents were more than slightly concerned that these increases would be insufficient.
“Cyber security professionals worldwide are bracing for the impact AI will have on their abilities to safeguard data and infrastructure,” commented Hays Malaysia regional director Natasha Ishak on the report.
“These tools benefit both organisations and criminals equally, and how teams can adapt to evolving attacks will depend on whether their talent has been upskilled sufficiently.
“Leaders must exercise prudence in deciding where to invest critical funds to keep cyber teams updated with the latest threats.”
Natasha said while current progress appears gradual, leaders appear willing to invest in the necessary training to bring cybersecurity teams up to speed in AI tools and against the latest threats.
“Professionals may wish to leverage this knowledge and table any opportunities for upskilling with their companies,” she added. – April 1, 2024
Main pic credit: HCA Mag
