May 05: As organisations face a widening gap in cybersecurity capabilities, Deloitte India has entered an exclusive strategic collaboration with SANS Institute to further strengthen its cyber offerings. Through this collaboration, Deloitte India will enable access to SANS’ globally recognised training programmes as part of its broader approach to help organisations build specialised cybersecurity capabilities in line with the evolving cyber threat landscape.
As cyber threats move beyond traditional IT environments, the need for advanced capabilities across detection, response and resilience is becoming critical to sustaining business operations and protecting essential services. According to the Indian Cybersecurity Skilling Landscape 2025–26 report, jointly developed by SANS Institute and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), 73 percent of cybersecurity user enterprises and 68 percent of cybersecurity solution providers report a limited availability of skilled cybersecurity candidates. A majority of organisations (83 percent) highlight that Artificial Intelligence (AI)/GenAI security skills are becoming critical, and 57 percent of cybersecurity solution providers find AI/Machine Learning (ML) security roles the hardest to fill. This growing skills gap is a key constraint in strengthening organisational cyber resilience.
Anand Tiwari, Partner, Deloitte India, said, “As cyber programmes mature and AI becomes embedded across security operations, the nature of human expertise required is fundamentally changing. Agentic AI is handling low-level, repetitive tasks across detection, monitoring and initial response. What organisations need now and will need in the future as well is deep human expertise that can design, govern, validate and intervene when it truly matters.
The cyber talent challenge now centres on scale, depth, judgement and hands-on mastery across complex environments. This collaboration with SANS allows us to help clients build precisely that depth. By combining Deloitte India’s end-to-end cybersecurity capabilities with SANS’ globally recognised, practitioner-led training, we are enabling organisations to train cyber professionals who are ready for today’s threat landscape and resilient to what comes next.”
AI is rapidly reshaping cybersecurity by automating detection, accelerating threat analysis and changing how defenders respond at scale. As AI‑driven attacks become more advanced, human expertise remains essential to guide, validate and apply these technologies responsibly.
James Lyne, CEO, SANS Institute, said, “India stands at a genuinely pivotal moment. What we have been watching with growing concern is the gap between the surface area of attack, the whirlwind of technology change, and what cyber defenders, hands on keyboard, can actually do when it matters. This is no longer about not having enough people. It is about having the right people, with the right skills.
The skills shortage is not a headcount problem anymore. It is a depth problem. Adversaries targeting cloud-native architectures, AI-driven systems, and converging IT/OT environments are not waiting for training programmes to catch up. The answer is world-class, hands-on training and certifications that produce professionals who are ready to operate from day one.
India has the ambition, the talent pipeline, and the regulatory momentum to build a cyber defence capability that sets a global standard. Our partnership with Deloitte supports this goal. Bet on people, and you change what is possible.”
India’s rapid expansion of connected and digital ecosystems is driving demand for specialised cybersecurity capabilities across sectors. Organisations are continuing to invest in cybersecurity tools and infrastructure, while also seeking stronger technical depth across teams to support implementation, monitoring and response. In this context, access to advanced training can help strengthen readiness and support India’s next phase of digital and economic growth.
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This press release has been issued by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP.
