Demand for cybersecurity specialists in Lithuania has surged following amendments to the country’s cybersecurity law, but the labour market is struggling to keep up.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 800 cyber incidents have been recorded, according to the National Cyber Security Centre. The updated law, which took effect last autumn, requires organisations to designate cybersecurity personnel and manage incidents, creating a growing need for skilled professionals.
The State Data Agency is among the institutions facing challenges in hiring experienced cybersecurity experts.
“Finding high-level specialists can take up to a year. There are many entry-level candidates with limited experience, but those with extensive expertise are much harder to find,” said Aidas Stoskus, head of the agency’s Data Protection Department.
Job postings for cybersecurity positions remain open for extended periods, even when offering salaries of 3,000 to 6,000 euros a month before taxes, according to CVbankas.lt, a job listing platform.
“At the start of last year, there were only a handful of cybersecurity job postings – maybe five. Now, there are 20 to 30 at any given time,” said CVbankas.lt head Tomas Toleikis.
The shortage of cybersecurity professionals is a broader issue, according to Vilnius Tech professor Ant anas Cenys.
“It’s easy for IT specialists to shift from cybersecurity to fields like artificial intelligence or programming, which makes the demand even greater,” he said.
To address the gap, the National Cyber Security Centre is working with universities and private sector leaders to develop strategies for faster and more effective training programmes, the interim centre director Antanas Aleknavicius has said.
From January to now, 810 cyber incidents have been recorded in Lithuania – up slightly from 785 during the same period last year. Most were classified as minor, but experts warn that threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“There are many actors seeking to harm us, and war is just one factor,” Aleknavicius said.
Cyberattacks and scams are rising each week, targeting both individuals and businesses, Stoskus has noted. Attackers are leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to carry out phishing schemes and fraud.
Cenys pointed out that while most attacks were financially motivated, politically driven cyber threats – such as efforts to influence elections – were on the rise across Europe.
“One example is Romania, where, just before the elections, tens of thousands of pages, bots and TikTok videos appeared, promoting a single candidate,” he said.
The amended cybersecurity law requires thousands of state institutions to hire specialists, but not all have done so yet, according to Aleknavicius. (LRT)