Sara will ensure we're protected from hacking attacks - she wants Microsoft to have more of: "There is IT in it"

I'm just happy and relieved. It was exactly what I wanted.

Mette Kaagaard, director of Microsoft Denmark and Iceland, is happy for Sara Statoua, who has joined the computer science program at Erhvervsakademi Aarhus.

Statoua dreams of working in IT security.

"I want to help businesses - and maybe ministers - prevent cyber attacks. Many don't realize how important it is. And there's a huge need for it," she says.

Read also: The state lacks competent IT people, shows report: 'It's hitting our security' ()

This view is shared by several industry organizations, educational institutions, and an expert.

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A report from Rambøll, which came out in November 2023, concludes that almost every private and public organization in Denmark does not have the capabilities to handle cyber attacks. The shortage is described as a "threat to our security" by the state's IT council.

Statoua dropped out of law studies to pursue her dream of working in cybersecurity.

And for some, cybersecurity might sound a bit abstract and long-haired, but not for Sara Statoua.

"It's much more than we think it is. Many think it's just about writing some codes. But there's so much more behind it, and it affects so many parts of our society," she says.

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Shortage hits businesses and Denmark

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Microsoft in Denmark would like to have more young people like Sara Statoua. They notice that there is a shortage of IT-savvy people, explains the director of Microsoft Denmark and Iceland, Mette Kaagaard.

"Our partners are lacking people and have to say no to orders or postpone them. Especially in the cybersecurity field, it's really hard to get enough people," she says.

A recent update of the antivirus program CrowdStrike caused a major IT breakdown at Microsoft and its many customers. To secure IT-savvy people to handle such breakdowns, Microsoft Denmark and Iceland's director wants more in IT education.

And it's not just a problem for companies' green numbers on the balance sheet according to her.

"It also means something for the speed of digitalization and Denmark's security," she says.

But it's not a job that deals with life or death like, for example, a doctor shortage, so why is it a problem?

"It's actually a job that has a lot to do with life or death. There's IT in almost everything we do, from hospitals to the military, at Falck, and at the police," she says.

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"Admit more"

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Therefore, she is also both happy and pessimistic about this year's enrollment in IT education.

There are more who have applied than last year. But there are fewer - one percent - who have been admitted.

"These are educational institutions that have great significance for Denmark. They help us grow, drive innovation, ensure that welfare is where it should be, and keep us safe in the cyber realm. I'm glad the young people want it, but very frustrated that fewer are being admitted," Mette Kaagaard says.

And she believes - like industry organizations and educational institutions - that this is due to politically decided quotas that have been set to get the young people to choose the smaller towns.

The enrollment figures show that they are not interested.

"I would like us to admit more. It hasn't worked to move the places out of the big cities, so you should consider moving them back again," says director Mette Kaagaard.

In Aarhus, Sara Statoua looks forward to starting her dream education after the summer break.

"It sounds great. And it should be celebrated when I travel abroad and better weather," she says.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.