According to the 'Secure in India 2023' report by KPMG in India, DSCI, and Nasscom, cybersecurity talent remains the major driver for cyber GCC leverage - around 81 percent of cyber skill demand is identified for cloud security, which is the highest increase.

The research underlines the Cyber GCCs' role in empowering global organizations to confront cybersecurity and digital risks by leveraging evolving business and digital technology frameworks.

The findings also reflect changes in the post-COVID-19 scene, providing critical recommendations for cyber GCCs to preserve a competitive edge by growing into global 'centers of expertise' and assisting global organizations in achieving security excellence, notably in India.

Vinayak Godse, CEO, DSCI, said, “Around 28 percent of global organizations have over half of their cybersecurity teams based out of India, 17 percent of them have more than 75 percent teams in India. 89 percent of GCCs participated in the global strategic and governance decision making”.

Commenting on the report, Atul Gupta, Partner and Head – Digital Trust, KPMG in India said,“The Third edition of the "Secure in India" report, clearly indicates the importance of cyber GCCs and also highlights that they are pivotal in designing, driving and implementing the cyber strategy for large global enterprises”.

Key Highlights from the Report:

• Global organizations continue to invest in cyber GCCs to manage cyber and digital risks - about 89 percent of cyber GCC CISOs participate in global committees governing cybersecurity.

• about 78 percent of cyber GCCs are unlocking horizontal value as teams across their three lines of defence (3LOD) actively collaborate for managing cybersecurity and digital risks.

• Cybersecurity talent continues to be the top driver for cyber GCC leverage – about 81 percent of cyber skill demand is noted for cloud security, which is the maximum increase.

• Cyber GCCs focus on a culture of innovation to manage risks effectively - about 39 per cent of the organisations surveyed are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for cybersecurity.

• Top five drivers to establish cyber GCCs include:

o   Availability of cybersecurity skills

o   Cost arbitrage

o   Round-the-clock delivery

o   Cyber innovation, research, and development

o   Proximity with other business functions

Given the increased reliance, safeguarding networks and data from cyber threats becomes more difficult, underscoring the urgent need for qualified cybersecurity specialists. To ensure that security considerations are integrated into emerging domains like 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT), Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Drone technology, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Robotics and Automation, and 3D Printing, there is an urgent need to move faster in this landscape.

Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are positioned to lead the charge in developing strategic direction, enhancing governance, and consistently integrating the "security and safety by design" approach across industries in a cost-effective manner, giving leadership more confidence in the management of cybersecurity risks as the need for strong cybersecurity measures becomes more pressing than ever.