{"id":216917,"date":"2026-05-19T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/the-invisible-war-brazilian-expert-thiago-manzaro-serain-warns-that-the-global-shortage-of-cybersecurity-professionals-is-putting-economies-at-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T00:40:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T04:40:20","slug":"the-invisible-war-brazilian-expert-thiago-manzaro-serain-warns-that-the-global-shortage-of-cybersecurity-professionals-is-putting-economies-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/the-invisible-war-brazilian-expert-thiago-manzaro-serain-warns-that-the-global-shortage-of-cybersecurity-professionals-is-putting-economies-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"The Invisible War: Brazilian Expert Thiago Manzaro Serain Warns That the Global Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals is Putting Economies at Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Invisible War: Brazilian Expert Thiago Manzaro Serain Warns That the Global Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals is Putting Economies at Risk<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.pr.com\/press-release\/968956<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-05-19 15:59:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.pr.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. Austin, TX, May 19, 2026 –(PR.com)–\u00a0The global digital economy is facing a dangerous paradox: cyberattacks have never been more frequent or more sophisticated, yet the number of professionals capable of defending against them has never been so small. The 2024 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study estimates that the world needs an additional 4.8 million cybersecurity specialists just to meet baseline protection requirements for governments, corporations, and critical infrastructure. The gap is now so severe that it threatens economic stability and national security across advanced economies, including the United States.The shortage is unfolding precisely as the attack surface expands. Artificial intelligence has supercharged the offensive capabilities of criminal groups and hostile states, enabling automated, scalable, and increasingly untraceable attacks.A perfect stormMass layoffs across the tech sector, particularly among network engineers, system administrators, and software developers, have pushed thousands of experienced professionals back into the job market. Many are now looking to cybersecurity as a more stable career path. But most lack hands\u2011on defensive experience, and organizations cannot afford to place high\u2011risk security roles in the hands of beginners.The result is a labor market where degrees matter but are insufficient, certifications help but only when paired with real\u2011world experience, and experience itself has become the ultimate, and increasingly rare, differentiator.The threat is growing faster than the defenseThe escalation of the global cyber war has made the shortage even more alarming. Recent high\u2011impact attacks illustrate the destructive potential of this new battleground:\u2022 Colonial Pipeline (U.S., 2021): a ransomware attack halted the nation\u2019s largest fuel pipeline, triggering shortages and market disruption.\u2022 Costa Rica (2022): the government declared a national emergency after attacks crippled ministries, tax systems, and essential services.\u2022 MGM Resorts (U.S., 2023): hotel and casino operations were paralyzed, resulting in billions in losses and exposing vulnerabilities in the hospitality sector.\u2022 Microsoft breach by Russia\u2011linked group (U.S., 2024): hackers accessed emails belonging to executives and security teams, exposing strategic data and raising global concerns about digital espionage.\u2022 ICBC \u2013 Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (U.S., 2023): the world\u2019s largest bank suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted U.S. Treasury market operations.\u2022 HCA Healthcare (U.S., 2023): data from 11 million patients was leaked, causing nationwide disruptions to essential medical services.\u2022 Critical infrastructure in Europe (2024\u20132025): coordinated attacks targeted power grids, transportation networks, and public services, underscoring systemic vulnerabilities.Across all these incidents, one conclusion is unavoidable: there are not enough skilled professionals to identify vulnerabilities, respond to incidents, and protect complex systems.Artificial intelligence has widened the gap even further. According to ISC2, 23% of cybersecurity teams report critical skill shortages in AI\u2011driven defense, alongside deficits in cloud security (30%), zero trust (27%), incident response (25%), and application security (24%).The Brazilian specialist operating where few canAmid this global shortage, a small group of professionals stands out for mastering highly specialized, technically demanding domains. Among them is Thiago Manzaro Serain, one of the few Brazilians with advanced certification in SAP Security, a technology that underpins critical operations for governments, banks, industries, and multinational corporations.With more than 20 years of experience at global firms such as LafargeHolcim, EY, and IBM, Serain spent 16 years dedicated exclusively to Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) and SAP security. His work includes implementing SAP GRC Access Control and Virsa Firefighter\/EAM, developing access profiles for operations across eight countries, and leading teams through critical incidents involving systems like S\/4HANA, ECC, BW, CRM, and SRM. He has also overseen Big Four audits and produced strategic controls and executive\u2011level reports.One of the most decisive moments of his career occurred during the merger of a multinational corporation, when an access\u2011management failure caused authorization issues and affected several countries. Serain led the complete restructuring of the access landscape, implemented controls and mitigations through SAP GRC, and restored the organization of access and authorizations, preventing a violation that could have triggered significant process and compliance problems across the entire cluster.Exclusive interviewFor Serain, the digital war is already underway, and on this issue, he is unequivocal:\u201cThe digital war happens in silence. When there aren\u2019t enough professionals, vulnerabilities multiply, and each one can compromise a company, a government, or an entire country.\u201dHe warns that the lack of early\u2011career professionals is one of the most dangerous trends. The ISC2 study shows that 31% of cybersecurity teams have no entry\u2011level staff, and 15% have no junior professionals at all. The base of the talent pyramid is collapsing, and there is no pipeline to replace it.On artificial intelligence, he is blunt:\u201cAI allows criminals to automate global attacks. Meanwhile, training a specialist takes years. The balance is completely off.\u201dSerain argues that the solution requires a more practical, structured approach to talent development: home labs, bug\u2011bounty participation, open\u2011source contributions, and more entry\u2011level opportunities. He also emphasizes the need for public\u2011sector investment in critical skills.\u201cCybersecurity is not a cost. It\u2019s infrastructure. Without it, no country is safe.\u201dThe future of the digital battlefieldCybersecurity is no longer a technical niche; it is a geopolitical pillar. Nations that fail to invest in talent risk seeing their digital infrastructure compromised by invisible adversaries.As Serain puts it, \u201cIn a world where the next war can begin with a single click, the future of national defense lies in specialists who can master complex systems, anticipate global risks, and act before the attack even begins.\u201d
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