Today's digital threats target schools, hospitals, municipalities, and small businesses just as aggressively as large enterprises. Ransomware attacks shut down classrooms. Phishing campaigns exploit young users as easily as experienced employees. 

Yet cyber security education is still treated as a late-stage specialisation, introduced only when individuals enter the workforce or pursue advanced technical roles.

"Threat actors don't wait for workforce pipelines to catch up and our approach to cyber security education shouldn't either. If we want to build lasting cyber resilience, readiness must start earlier." says Kingsley Oseghale, Country Manager: West Africa for Check Point Software Technologies.

Why Waiting Until the Workforce Is a Risk

The global cyber security talent shortage has been discussed at length.  Africa has over 200 000 cyber security placements to fill, for example. However, the underlying issue is often misunderstood. It isn't simply a lack of jobs or training programs. It's a timing problem.

"Most cyber security professionals are introduced to the field late, often after they've already chosen a career path. By then, organisations are forced into reactive hiring and accelerated training, while attackers continue to operate at speed. This gap leaves institutions vulnerable and limits the diversity and scale of the talent pool," Oseghale says.

"At the same time, young people are entering the digital world earlier than ever before. They use cloud platforms, mobile devices, and connected services daily, but without structured education around digital risk, security fundamentals, or defensive thinking. The result is a growing mismatch between digital exposure and cyber preparedness," he adds.

Security behaviors, like any foundational skill, are most effective when developed early. Waiting until adulthood to introduce cyber security concepts is akin to teaching road safety only after handing someone the keys.

Education as Preventive Security Infrastructure

Cyber security is ultimately a prevention challenge. While response capabilities are essential, the most effective defenses reduce the likelihood and impact of attacks in the first place.

Education plays a critical role in that prevention model. Early exposure to cyber security concepts – especially through hands-on, applied learning – builds threat awareness, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of how attackers operate. It helps learners recognize risk, question assumptions, and think defensively long before they encounter these challenges in professional environments.

In this sense, cyber security education functions as a form of security infrastructure. Just as societies invest in public safety measures to reduce harm, investing in early cyber education reduces systemic risk across sectors. The benefits extend beyond future security professionals; cyber literacy improves outcomes for anyone who will work, study, or innovate in a digital environment – which today means nearly everyone.

The Role of Industry–Education Partnerships

Academic institutions play a vital role in developing cyber talent, but they cannot do it alone. Cyber threats evolve too quickly for education systems to keep pace without real-world context and collaboration.

Industry–education partnerships help bridge this gap by bringing current threat insights, practical tools, and applied learning experiences into classrooms. Globally, initiatives such as Check Point's SecureAcademy demonstrate how this model can scale – working with over 15 academic institutions and nonprofit partners throughout Africa to support consistent, hands-on cyber security education across regions.

These partnerships are not about replacing academic instruction, but about reinforcing it with relevance. By aligning foundational learning with real-world security challenges, they help ensure that students graduate with practical readiness, not just theoretical knowledge.

Preparing Youth for Participation in the Digital Economy

Cyber security education is also an economic issue. Digital trust underpins innovation, growth, and competitiveness, and that trust depends on people who understand how to protect systems and data. As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in how organisations build, operate, and secure digital services, that trust will increasingly depend on how well people understand both AI's power and its risks.

For young learners, early exposure to cyber security opens doors to meaningful career pathways and economic mobility. It provides practical skills that are transferable across industries and roles, from IT and engineering to healthcare, education, and public service. Today, this learning must also include an understanding of AI — how it is used to defend against cyber threats, how it can be abused by attackers, and how human judgement remains essential when working alongside intelligent systems. 

Even for those who do not pursue cyber security careers, security literacy enhances their ability to operate safely and responsibly in digital environments. As AI-driven tools become part of everyday life — from classrooms to workplaces — young people who understand concepts like data protection, algorithmic bias, and digital identity will be better equipped to navigate an increasingly automated world.

From an organisational perspective, a cyber-ready workforce reduces risk, improves resilience, and supports sustainable growth. The next generation, having grown up alongside AI, is uniquely positioned to adapt, learn, and lead in this evolving threat landscape. Investing in youth education today not only strengthens cyber defences, but also ensures societies are prepared for a future where AI and cyber security are inseparable pillars of the digital economy .

A Timely Call on International Day of Education

This year's International Day of Education highlights the power of youth in shaping the future of learning. That message is particularly relevant for cyber security.

Young people are not just future users of technology. They are future builders, operators, and defenders of digital systems. Preparing them to navigate and secure those systems is no longer optional. It is a shared responsibility for educators, industry leaders, and policymakers alike.

Cyber security education should be viewed as a foundational skill, introduced early and reinforced consistently. Doing so requires alignment across sectors and a willingness to invest before crises force our hand.

Cyber Security Starts in the Classroom

The threats facing our digital world are growing more complex, more frequent, and more disruptive. Addressing them requires more than tools and technology. It requires people who are prepared to think critically about security from the start.

Building cyber readiness early reduces risk later. It strengthens institutions, supports economic resilience, and empowers the next generation to participate safely and confidently in the digital world.

"If we want secure systems tomorrow, we must begin with cyber-ready learners today," Oseghale concludes.