SANS Institute and DSCI Launch India’s First Comprehensive Study on Cybersecurity Skilling Landscape

The study will assess cybersecurity skilling gaps by examining how well academic curricula and training infrastructure align with real-world job demands. It will spotlight high-need roles like product engineering, threat intelligence, malware reverse engineering, forensics, and incident response, areas often overlooked by conventional programs. It will also consider the impact of new data protection laws, such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and the rise in cyberattacks and financial fraud in India. As threats grow more complex, so must the depth and specialization of cybersecurity skills across the workforce.

“India’s position as a global technology and cybersecurity leader depends on the strength of its cyber talent,” said Vinayak Godse, CEO of DSCI. “This study, in partnership with SANS, is the first step in understanding where we are and what we need to be future proof. It’s not just about the quantity of professionals, but the quality, specialization and real-world readiness of their skills.”

Atul Kumar, Director at DSCI, noted: “There remains a critical gap between academic output and industry demand. This study will provide actionable insights to help align education, policy, and workforce development, creating a more responsive and future-ready skilling ecosystem.”

SANS: Bringing Global Expertise to Local Challenges

As a global leader in advanced cybersecurity training, SANS brings deep expertise and data-backed methodologies to the initiative. The findings of the study will be shared with stakeholders across government, industry, and academia, and will serve as a guiding framework for upskilling efforts nationwide.

India’s digital ecosystem is undergoing a massive transformation, but the cybersecurity workforce is struggling to keep pace. Despite the country’s growing prominence as a global cybersecurity service hub—home to R&D centres, Security Operations Centres (SOCs), and product development teams—there remains a significant mismatch between supply and demand of skilled cyber professionals.

“The cybersecurity landscape is advancing at a pace that traditional education models alone can no longer match. Through this landmark study in collaboration with DSCI, we will drive strategic skilling interventions that will empower India’s cybersecurity workforce with the skills required to meet today’s complex threat environment,” said Suresh Mustapha, Managing Director, SANS Institute – Asia Pacific.

Arindam Roy, Country Director – South Asia at SANS, added: “Our goal is to ensure India’s workforce is ready for the cyber threats of tomorrow. This study reflects our commitment to India’s digital resilience, and we’re proud to be collaborating with DSCI to lead this important initiative.”

The final study will be published in early 2026.

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 85 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and OnDemand. In India, more than 6,000 courses have been completed and over 3,000 certifications earned to date. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 50 hands-on technical certifications in cybersecurity. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master’s and bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cybersecurity. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community, including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet’s early warning system—the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners representing varied global organizations, from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community.

Find out more on sans.org.

About DSCI

The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a NASSCOM® initiative, is a premier industry body on data protection in India. DSCI engages with governments, regulators, industry, and academia to build a secure and trusted cyberspace through policy advocacy, thought leadership, and capacity-building initiatives.

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