By Antynet Ford
With 22.71 million internet users in Kenya as at January 2024, cybersecurity experts are among the most sought-after IT skills that corporates require to sustain their online presence.
This has informed the development of skill-focused IT courses that learning institutions are using to prepare young learners for IT careers.
The urgency to fill in the IT skills gap shortage is further aggravated by the latest evidence that Kenya’s internet penetration rate stood at 40.8 percent of the total population at the start of 2024. A report by Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Kenya increased by 445 thousand (+2.0 percent) between January 2023 and January 2024.
Online processes in public and private sector entities have become a necessary ingredient in daily business activities from initiating a purchase(shopping) to carting and eventual payment for a chosen product including logistics while those seeking government services must log into e-citizen and make every request for over 5,000 services.
Since her graduation from Strathmore University, Ms Mary Watiri Kambo’s skills have been in demand from companies running online platforms. Ms Kambo, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business and Information Technology from Strathmore University in 2020 has been working as a cyber security consultant helping companies to maintain an active and reliable online presence.
In an interview, Ms Kambo who is working as a Cyber Security Instructor at the Technical University of Mombasa for Rapid Tech Skills Training programme initiated by the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP) through its subcomponent, Strengthening Kenyan Innovation Ecosystem(SKIES) Rapid Technical says Kenya is in high demand for cybersecurity skills.
The cybersecurity expert says public and private sector players require workers at different levels of IT proficiency to take up various roles that will help them become visible and responsive to customer requests as well as help improve internal processes from sourcing for raw materials, managing store inventory, sales to scheduling payments for goods.
“A cybersecurity expert provides guidance on best practices for securing payment systems and implementing secure practices, while IT services can help to monitor networks and detect potential threats in real-time,”she says.
Ms Kambo who co-founded Nairobi-based cybersecurity firm, Inforesponsiva Solutions says their work entails helping entities to secure their data for public good as well as for sustaining business continuity.
“Our work rides on the Information Assurance model that includes the protection of confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity, and non-repudiation of user data. Ours is to secure company and customer data, ensure its integrity- free from interference, available when needed, its ability to verify user identity(authenticity) and that we should affirm our commitment to keep all data we come across as private as possible,” she adds.
In her new role as an instructor, Ms Kambo says trainees undertaking the course are better placed to decide their careers based on the basic information they receive regarding the various IT courses on offer.
She says trainees who pursue cybersecurity skills training will be tasked with helping organisations to assess, prevent, and respond to cyber threats, using advanced tools and technologies.
Ms Kambo has successfully completed multiple projects for clients in various sectors, such as banking, healthcare, and education, enhancing their cyber resilience and security posture.
The instructor welcomed the KIEP-SKIES Rapid Skills Training Programme saying it targets to impart the learners with ready-for-the market skills adding that IT as a sector is wide enough to accommodate different skills that inform different tasks.
“Cyber security is a wide field that requires one to specialise in any line they have interest in from blockchain, data science, AI, IoT, cloud, and machine learning. To undertake a career in tech requires one to have a degree in an IT field although some individuals have taught themselves through e-learning platforms and have become proficient in what they do.
Ms Kambo’s aspiration is to make the digital realm a safer place for everyone, and to inspire more women to join and excel in the cyber security industry.
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