The job market reflects a global supply and demand problem in the recruitment of cybersecurity professionals. Several factors are driving the growth of the cybersecurity workforce, foremost among them the increase in cyber attacks. 

The motivation for cyber attacks is usually based on criminal intent to cause harm or financial gain. From Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to ransomware, threat actors cause a danger to people’s safety or lead to compromised intellectual property, either sold on the dark web or used as leverage for ransom.

Consequently, several challenges need to be addressed to increase end-user awareness and education about cybersecurity. So, it is necessary to investigate how new training modalities and technologies can lead to the education of cybersecurity professionals who can respond to market needs but more importantly bridge the gap between training and business demand. For example, ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) provides a common understanding of the relevant roles, competencies, skills, and knowledge required, facilitates recognition of cybersecurity skills, and supports the design of cybersecurity-related training programs.

The goal is to help end-users make guided learning choices, understand possible career paths,  and, in turn,  bridge the gap between professional workplaces and learning environments. In addition, these new training modalities and technologies will lead professionals to a better understanding of cybersecurity risks and the learning of skills required to build secure and resilient technology solutions.

Therefore considering students, professors, and professionals as end-users to be educated in cybersecurity, the workshop intends to discuss a shared understanding between the demand (workplace, recruitment) and supply (qualification, training); increase end-user awareness; support the identification of the critical skills required from a workforce perspective; promote harmonization in cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.