CANBERRA – 27 October 2015: The Raytheon Cyber Careers Survey released in the United States overnight shows that Australia is lagging other nations in encouraging the necessary cybersecurity workforce to meet our economic and national security interests.

Global defence and cybersecurity company, Raytheon, and the US National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) commissioned a 12-country survey on the preparedness of millennials aged 18 to 26 to embark upon a career in cybersecurity. This was in response to a reported projected global shortfall of 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals[1].

The survey found that Australian parents and schools were playing their part to introduce children from the youngest age to staying safe online. Young Australians also recognised their personal responsibility in this regard. However, despite survey findings suggesting nearly a third of young Australian adults are more likely today than a year ago to choose a career in which they could make the internet more secure, Australia needs to do more.

Young Australians were only half as likely as their international counterparts to express that protecting the digital world was important to them.

More than half of Australian millennials surveyed said they didn’t know enough about the typical tasks of a cybersecurity professional with few ever having met anyone working in the area.

A lack of training was cited as the reason why Australians are less likely to consider a cyber career with the report finding that more information about cyber jobs and more relevant training was required to increase interest in cyber careers.

The Children’s eSafety Commissioner, Alastair MacGibbon, welcomed the release of the international survey.

“Australian children are our next generation of workers, and at the very least they will be the human firewall against evolving online threats. This survey shows we need to be doing more to inspire them to consider a career in the field of cyber security,” says MacGibbon.

The Managing Director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward, said “The Raytheon Cyber Careers Survey is a wake-up call for Australia to provide the cyber workforce we will need in the future to keep our country safe online. This is a real issue and we all have a part to play in finding a solution. As a company with a large engineering and technical workforce, Raytheon is acutely aware of the need to motivate young Australians to continue their maths and science studies, so they can be equipped to embark upon tertiary studies leading to cyber careers.”

Since 2007 Raytheon Australia has partnered with Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon, to extend the Centre’s ability to reach and motivate more young Australians into science, maths and engineering related careers.

“For nearly a decade Raytheon has worked with Questacon, supporting exhibitions and critical programs aimed at fostering the development of young people with the skills and knowledge to solve not only the problems of today, but those of tomorrow as well. It is recognised that in addition to academic excellence, the emerging opportunities for high skill careers require agile thinking and the ability to innovate. It is fortunate for Australia that companies such as Raytheon have been prepared to partner with the Australian Government to support programs that work to prepare our students for these careers,” said Dr Stuart Kohlhagen PSM, Director of Science and Learning, Questacon.

Securing Our Future: Closing the Talent Gap, fielded by Zogby Analytics, surveyed 3871 participants in 12 countries aged 18 to 26, who were asked questions about their cybersecurity career aspirations, attitudes, education and behaviours.

The full global report can be found at www.raytheoncyber.com/TalentGap    

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Media contact:
Raylee Huggett, P: +61 2 6122 0375 | M: +61 476 832 819
raylee.huggett@raytheon.com.au

About Raytheon Company

Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cybersecurity and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @raytheon.