Building the payments security workforce of the future
Cyber threats are growing faster than the talent pool. Here’s one way Visa is solving for skills in cybersecurity.
Jobs of the future are driven by new technology and digitalization. The explosion of new technologies — from blockchain to AI, cryptocurrencies and digital wallets — is creating greater and greater demand for a workforce with technical skills. New technologies also, inadvertently, expand the attack surface for cyber criminals to exploit, opening up new ways for cyber attackers to commit fraud. This is just one reason why cybersecurity has become one of the most strategically important skills for the global workforce, according to a recent World Economic Forum jobs report.1
But the demand, while increasingly high, far outstrips the supply. According to remarks delivered last year at a Congressional hearing on needs in the cybersecurity workforce, nearly three quarters of a million roles in cybersecurity in the United States sit vacant, largely the result of a skills gap.2 Globally, the number of unfilled roles in cybersecurity was closer to 3.5 million in 2023.3
It's a shortage that’s hard to ignore, particularly in an industry like payments, where the Venn diagram of protecting sensitive data, preventing potential losses, complying with certain regulations and maintaining customer trust all overlap at cybersecurity.
Enter the Visa Payments Learning Program.
Training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals
The Visa Payments Learning Program provides training and certification in payments cybersecurity to employees, students, clients and military talent, with more plans to expand education and training topics. The program was developed in response to the White House National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan, which calls for more companies to create greater opportunities for individuals to enter the cybersecurity field.
Currently available in the U.S. with plans to expand globally, the Visa Payments Learning Program will empower individuals from diverse, untapped communities to explore the world of payment security and help future-proof their careers. Through a 16-week apprenticeship program, participants will get on-the-job training to build technical and business skills needed to succeed as cyber professionals. Through Visa’s Military Talent Program, Visa will also actively recruit and hire military veterans, reservists and military spouses to provide them with cybersecurity training and reskilling.
Securing the future of the payments ecosystem
Consumers have more ways than ever to shop, bank, pay and get paid digitally and quickly. The digital economy is growing while cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and complex, creating a critical need for the payments industry to protect consumers, businesses and the digital economy.
Implementing effective payments cybersecurity measures by investing in a workforce with the skills necessary to monitor and mitigate cyber threats will help protect the whole ecosystem and how money moves around the world.
Learn more about the Visa Payments Learning Program and how Visa is investing in the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
1 World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report
2 https://homeland.house.gov/2023/06/22/subcommittee-chair-garbarino-robust-cybersecurity-workforce-is-needed-to-mitigate-risk-across-federal-networks-critical-infrastructure/
3 Cybersecurity Ventures, 2023 Cybersecurity Jobs Report, https://www.esentire.com/resources/library/2023-official-cybersecurity-jobs-report