New Delhi, Jun 19 (IANS): National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and cyber security giant Symantec have signed a pact to develop world class skilled and certified cyber security professionals, a statement said on Thursday.

The partnership will focus on developing five prioritized job roles in cyber security along with a master training programme which also has scope to fund scholarship for 1,000 women undertaking the cyber security certification by NASSCOM.

The programme will also facilitate internships and placement of the certified candidates, the statement said.

"The initiative will also facilitate internships and placement of certified candidates, and is an extension in India of the Symantec Cyber Career Connection (SC3), a program launched last year to attract and train young adults and women in the field of cyber security," said Symantec president and CEO Michael A. Brown.

The initiative identified as 'Building Cyber Security Skills' is a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to NASSCOM in March to focus on the global cyber security challenge, the statement said.

"This partnership will enable the industry to map existing and future skills requirements and plug its demand-supply gap. The program will also focus on developing pioneering models for scaling capacity and enhancing employability through assessments and certifications," said NASSCOM president R. Chandrashekhar.

Rising internet related crimes has made cyber security a focus area for NASSCOM and its member organizations kicked off several initiatives aimed at data protection, security, privacy codes and standards.

Demand for cyber security workforce is expected to rise to 6 million professionals by 2019 with a projected shortfall of 1.5 million, the statement added.

Global IT security market is estimated to be $77 billion and growing at a rate of eight percent annually, the statement said.