Hong Kong needs more professionals focused on cybersecurity due to persistent threats and a limited talent pool, according to a recent report from the Hong Kong China Network Security Association.
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The group said demand for cybersecurity professionals in Hong Kong was expected to grow steadily over the next three to five years, with a particular focus on skills related to cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) security.
The report said attackers, armed with AI, drove the number of security incidents handled by the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre in 2024 to 12,536, the highest in five years.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, it said, the adoption of multi-cloud strategies had increased significantly and as a result, demand for professionals with cloud security backgrounds had grown.
“There is growing demand for companies to hire security professionals with the experience of securing cloud environments and managing associated risks on multiple cloud platforms such as [Amazon Web Services], Azure and Alibaba,” said Fiona Fung, senior manager of infrastructure and cyber at recruiter Robert Walters.
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The report was put together in collaboration with Sia, a consulting firm. The study surveyed around a hundred cybersecurity professionals in Hong Kong. In addition, inquiries were made with a number of professional recruiters who possessed “a broad understanding of the talent market and can provide valuable insights”. The report showed that companies needed to improve their communication and collaboration skills to combat cybersecurity risks.