Who will protect factories: Why Russia has a catastrophic shortage of cybersecurity specialists

Investments in the industry will help solve the shortage of cybersecurity specialists

Russian industry is facing a serious shortage of specialists in the field of cybersecurity. First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Artyom Sheikin believes that the problem can be solved by systemic measures, including expanding educational programs with an emphasis on industry specifics.

Universities should closely interact with enterprises so that students receive practical skills specifically in the field of protecting production processes. Companies, in turn, should invest more actively in personnel training.
Artyom Sheikin

From January to August 2025, the demand for cybersecurity specialists in various industries increased significantly: in mechanical engineering — by 40%, in the energy sector — by 64%, and in trade — by 75% compared to the same period last year. Experts emphasize that hacker attacks are becoming more frequent.

According to Artyom Sheikin, the reason is the active digitalization of the industry. The senator emphasized that many security systems at enterprises operate on outdated equipment.

The First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building is convinced that the training of personnel for IT industries was previously focused on the areas of finance, in the public sector, and in telecommunications. Because of this, a demand for specialists was not formed in other areas.

Read more materials:

Now on home