Businesses, utilities and government agencies are scrambling to protect their data and computer systems in the face of rising cyberattacks, fueling an increased demand for cybersecurity workers.

A report from Cybersecurity Ventures predicts 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will go unfilled worldwide by 2021. The research and statistics firm compiled that number after reviewing dozens of employment figures from analysts, job boards, vendors, governments, the media and other organizations.

Cybercrime also is expected to cost the world $6 trillion a year by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015, the company reported.

Biggest threat to mankind

“Cybercrime is the single biggest threat to humanity we have seen in our lifetime besides nuclear weapons,” said Kevin McDonald, chief operating officer and chief information security officer for Alvaka Networks. The Irvine company provides network management and security for businesses looking to protect their technical assets and data.

“The impact on our infrastructure — including gas, electric power, water … all of these things — is enormous,” he said.

A worst-case scenario, according to McDonald, would involve an attack on a utility’s main operations and its backup system.

“It takes one grid to bring another back up,” he said.

McDonald was a featured speaker at a Technolink Association event in Pasadena earlier this week. The industry coalition of national and international leaders in aerospace, academia, defense, energy and other fields is seeking to develop a virtual high-tech corridor in Southern California.