Cybersecurity skills gap widens as cyberattacks surge: Kerala DGP
Kerala’s Director General of Police, Manoj Abraham, warned that a fast-escalating wave of cyberattacks is outpacing the supply of qualified defenders, creating a critical skills gap that threatens individuals, businesses, and governments alike. Speaking at the second edition of the Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit (KCSS) in Kochi, he cautioned that cyber operations can disable critical infrastructure and undermine national security without a single shot being fired.
Abraham highlighted the urgency with stark figures: ransomware victims worldwide have risen by 389% year-on-year; reported losses from cyber fraud in India reached ₹19,813 crore in 2025; and an estimated 4.8 million cybersecurity positions remain unfilled globally. He noted that Kerala is well placed to contribute solutions, citing the State’s strong technology talent base and robust academic ecosystem.
The summit, organised by F9 Infotech in collaboration with the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), underscored the need for coordinated action across government, industry, and academia. Hibi Eden, MP, inaugurated the event and praised F9 Infotech’s initiative to deliver free cybersecurity training, awareness programs, and certification to government educational institutions across the State—an approach aimed at building a broad, sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals.
Reinforcing the call for inclusive capacity-building, F9 Infotech Founder Jayakumar Mohanachandran stressed that cybersecurity must extend beyond boardrooms and conferences to protect every business, institution, and citizen. Over the last three years, he said, more than ₹56,000 crore has been reported in cyber-fraud complaints across India, while improved response systems helped save over ₹11,000 crore across 32 lakh complaints. The goal, he emphasized, is to create a digital environment people can trust, not merely to stop the next attack.
The event drew participation from a wide spectrum of leaders and experts, including Lt Gen Madhavan Unnikrishnan Nair; Air Commodore Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair; Vinayak Godse, CEO of the Data Security Council of India; KSIDC Chairman C. Balagopal; Digital University Kerala Vice-Chancellor Saji Gopinath; and F9 Infotech senior leaders Rajesh Radhakrishnan and Rajesh Vikraman. The summit received support from the Data Security Council of India, TiE Kerala, and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Speakers converged on a few core priorities. First, invest in workforce development at scale—from school-level awareness and university curricula to professional upskilling and hands-on labs. Second, strengthen public-private coordination to accelerate threat intelligence sharing, incident response, and recovery. Third, embed security by design across digital public infrastructure and enterprise systems, ensuring resilience even as digital adoption accelerates.
Abraham urged aspiring professionals to consider cybersecurity as a mission-critical career path offering opportunities across investigation, incident response, cloud security, AI-driven defense, and governance, risk and compliance. With the attack surface expanding and adversaries growing more sophisticated, he said, the next generation of defenders will play a decisive role in safeguarding economic growth and public trust.
Kerala’s institutions, startups, and technology community were called upon to leverage the State’s strengths—skilled graduates, active industry bodies, and a collaborative innovation culture—to help close the global talent gap. By aligning training with real-world needs, promoting certifications, and fostering internships and apprenticeships, the State can accelerate the supply of job-ready professionals while enhancing security outcomes for organizations of all sizes.
The Kerala Cyber Suraksha Summit 2026 concluded with a shared message: the surge in cyber threats is both a warning and an opportunity. With concerted effort, investment in people, and a long-term focus on trust and resilience, the region can become a significant contributor to the world’s cybersecurity ecosystem—turning a pressing challenge into a platform for innovation and inclusive growth.
