This scenario is fictitious, obviously, made to permit recreational cyber security enthusiasts the opportunity to match their wits against one another in the Cyber Security Challenge UK Masterclass, which happened in November in London. Nevertheless, it is part of an attempt to handle a very serious issue: not enough individuals are going into the work force that is cybersecurity.

“There are not enough folks out there to satisfy the needs of all the providers.”

The ability disparity is an issue that is global. In the U.S. alone in 2014, businesses posted 49,493 occupations that require Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, a leading cybersecurity qualification.

NCSA and Raytheon focused on the younger generation, commissioning Zogby Analytics to study 18 to 26-year olds in 12 nations around the world on their approaches toward professions in cybersecurity. The survey found that in closing the ability disparity, maybe the most crucial step is making millennials conscious that it is growing and that there’s such a subject.

“The understanding–largely fueled by the movie industry–of folks sitting in dark rooms in front of glowing computer screens isn’t what the cyber profession is really all around,” says David Wajsgras, president of Raytheon’s Intelligence, Advice and Services company. “We must do a better job at communicating that which we do. We’re engineers, policy makers, critical thinkers, and innovators.”

Wajsgras summarized a variety of ways in which authorities and the cyber business were working to foster awareness among young folks. He said they were planning to enlighten teachers and career counsel about occupations in cyber, including getting cyber professionals into classrooms with kids of all ages to run hands on tasks “and show pupils how it is an exciting area to be part of.”

The Cyber Security Challenge UK, which is financed by the British authorities and private companies, runs a variety of plans with young folks. Robert Nowill, manager and chairman of the organization, emphasizes CyberCenturion, a contest for 12-18 year olds that’s them examine a virtual computer for exposures that are potential. CyberCenturion is modeled on CyberPatriot, a similar application in the U.S.

There’s likewise an attempt to convince elderly folks to change professions, whether they work in a connected technology area or something different completely. The victor of the Cyber Security Challenge Masterclass in London, Peter Clarke, is a 38-year old network engineer for a car dealer. He is able to currently select from an assortment of prizes worth over GBP100,000, in training classes, university, and accessibility to business occasions.

The Raytheon/NCSA report also identified a gift “difference within the difference”: much fewer women than men are entering cybersecurity. The survey found that, worldwide, 33% of young men said they were more likely to think about a vocation in the area than they’d have been a year.