Cybersecurity teams across Asia-Pacific are growing, but many still lack the technical depth needed to keep pace with threats, according to new data from Kaspersky. The findings point to a persistent APAC cybersecurity skills gap in systems programming, security frameworks and network technologies, even as organisations across the region pour more money into security budgets.
Key Takeaways
- 62% of APAC cybersecurity professionals report shortfalls in systems programming, the single biggest skills gap identified.
- 48% admit making early-career mistakes such as skipping data backups or relying on outdated security measures.
- 81% of APAC organisations have raised their IT security budgets, with Vietnam leading at 94%.
Where the cybersecurity talent gap in Asia Pacific is widest
Kaspersky’s data shows systems programming as the weakest hard skill, with 62% of respondents flagging shortfalls there. Framework knowledge follows closely at 61%, and network technologies at 46%. On the softer side, analytical thinking (48%), problem-solving (43%) and teamwork (41%) came up most often as areas where cybersecurity professionals in the region fall short.
Those numbers suggest the shortage isn’t just about headcount. Teams can be fully staffed and still struggle if the people coming through don’t have the grounding to read a system properly, work within a framework, or make sense of what the data is telling them.
Early-career mistakes are common and avoidable
A quarter of respondents in the region said their formal education was only slightly useful, or not useful at all, in their actual day-to-day work. That gap between classroom and job shows up early: 48% of APAC cybersecurity professionals said they made mistakes in their first few years on the job purely because they didn’t know better. The most common errors were neglecting data backups (43%), using outdated security measures (43%) and failing to implement identity protection (36%).
None of these are advanced threats. They’re basic hygiene, which is part of the point – the gap isn’t always about keeping up with cutting-edge attackers. Sometimes it’s about covering the fundamentals.
“What the region needs are professionals who can combine technical depth with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and that requires structured, practical guidance, not just on-the-job experience,” said Adrian Hia, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky. “There are growing efforts to address this, and resources like Kaspersky’s Cyber Pathways are a step in the right direction, giving professionals a clearer map of where they stand and where they need to go.”
Security budgets are climbing across the region
Money isn’t the constraint it once was. A separate Kaspersky survey found that 81% of APAC organisations have increased their IT security budgets, with Vietnam (94%), Indonesia (87%), Malaysia (83%) and India (83%) leading the increases. The challenge now is spending that money on the right things, including training pathways that target the specific gaps showing up in the data, rather than generic certifications.
Kaspersky positions its Cyber Pathways tool, which includes an interactive assessment and personalised learning recommendations, as one option for professionals trying to work out where they stand against these gaps and what to study next.
