Russian Cybersecurity Training Market Heats Up: A 10% Jump in 2024 – Breaking News
Moscow – The Russian market for corporate information security (IS) education is experiencing significant growth, hitting 3.07 billion rubles at the close of 2024 – a 10% increase year-over-year. This surge, revealed in a new study by Solar Group of Companies and Kasatkin Consulting, signals a dramatic shift in how Russian businesses are approaching cybersecurity, moving beyond simple compliance to proactive, “combat” training for their teams. This is urgent news for anyone involved in the Russian tech landscape, and a key indicator of evolving global cybersecurity priorities.
The Rise of the Cybersecurity Skills Gap
For years, cybersecurity has been a reactive field. Companies patched vulnerabilities *after* attacks. Now, the landscape is changing. The study highlights three core drivers fueling this growth. First, increasingly stringent government regulations are making certified IS professionals a necessity for licensing and accreditation. Second, the emergence of AI-powered threats demands constant upskilling to protect increasingly complex IT infrastructures. And finally, Russia’s import substitution policies are fostering the development of domestic training programs, reducing reliance on foreign solutions.
But the numbers tell a starker story. Cybercrimes in the Russian Federation have exploded, increasing 7.5 times over the past seven years to 765.4 thousand incidents in 2024, resulting in losses of 168 billion rubles. Remarkably, corporate training budgets represent less than 2% of these losses – a clear indication of underinvestment despite the escalating risk. Olga Mikhailova, head of educational projects at UserGate Academy, points to phishing as a persistent vulnerability, emphasizing the critical need to address the “human factor” in cybersecurity.
Who’s Investing in Cybersecurity Skills?
The demand isn’t evenly distributed. The largest businesses (revenue exceeding 80 billion rubles) account for 40% of the market, while large businesses (5-80 billion rubles) contribute another 43%. Interestingly, the public sector lags behind, with only a 6% market share. Denis Batrankov, Business Development Director of the Garda group of companies, explains this disparity: limited budgets and a fear of losing trained personnel to the private sector are hindering investment in public sector cybersecurity education.
However, where investment *is* happening, it’s substantial. The financial sector, fuel and energy companies (collectively 41%), and retail/FMCG businesses (21%) are leading the charge. These companies aren’t just keeping pace with revenue growth; their training budgets are growing at a similar rate (around 24% annually), demonstrating a clear prioritization of personnel development. Companies are spending, on average, 0.13% of revenue on training in the large business segment, and 0.05% in the largest corporations.
From Certificates to “Combat” Training: A Maturing Market
The market is evolving beyond simply acquiring certifications. As Dmitry Kasatkin, managing partner of Kasatkin Consulting, notes, the focus is shifting towards practical, “combat” training – specifically in areas like Security Operations Centers (SOC), DevSecOps, digital forensics, and “red team” exercises at dedicated cyber training grounds. This represents a maturation of the cybersecurity education market, mirroring the broader development of the cybersecurity industry itself.
The Russian government is also playing a role, implementing programs to offset the costs of corporate training, particularly in IT and information security. This synergy between public and private sectors, coupled with the import substitution policy, is creating a favorable environment for growth and bolstering the country’s digital sovereignty.
The future of cybersecurity education in Russia isn’t just about keeping up with threats; it’s about building a resilient, skilled workforce capable of proactively defending against them. As businesses increasingly link training to measurable competencies and the implementation of domestic security solutions, the demand for high-quality, practical cybersecurity education will only continue to rise. Stay tuned to archyde.com for ongoing coverage of this critical market and the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
