In a world that’s increasingly dependant on computers and the cloud for day to day functioning, the risks posed by hackers is very real. In order to tackle this, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and security software company Symantec have collectively announced their Cyber Security Skill Development Initiative.
Cyber security sector possesses great potential with a projected revenue earning of about $35 billion, creating one million new jobs, the Business Standard reported. NASSCOM set up the task force with the intent to position India as the global hub for data security, the Times of India reported. NASSCOM estimated that the IT security market will be worth about $77 billion in 2015, with a work force of about 4 million people.
Under the initiative, the consortium launched the National Occupational Standards for 10 cyber security job roles with the corresponding Qualification Packs (QP) in line with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF).
Symantec also announced that it would be awarding scholarships to 1,000 women undertaking the course. “Building the next generation of cyber professionals is key to securing India’s critical information infrastructure, battling cyber crime and making the ‘Digital India’ initiative successful,” Sanjay Rohatgi, senior vice-president of Asia Pacific and Japan at Symantec, said. NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar added that the initiative would help curb cyber crime, while developing a generation of skilled youth.
