The Good Tech Companies - Bridging the AI Chasm: The Evolution of Cybersecurity Skills

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/bridging-the-ai-chasm-the-evolution-of-cybersecurity-skills. AI is transforming cybercrime��and defenders aren’t ready. The cybersecurity industry must urgently evolve its skills to fight AI-powered threats. Check more stories related to cybersecurity at: https://hackernoon.com/c/cybersecurity. You can also check exclusive content about #ai-cybersecurity, #cybersecurity-skills-gap, #deepfake-fraud, #ai-threat-detection, #cybersecurity-certifications, #ceh-training, #microsoft-ai-security, #good-company, and more. This story was written by: @kashvipandey. Learn more about this writer by checking @kashvipandey's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. Cybercriminals are using AI to automate attacks and create deepfakes, while most cybersecurity pros lack the skills to defend against them. With 4M+ unfilled roles and a growing AI skills mismatch, the industry must evolve fast. Certifications and tech giants are stepping in, but urgent, hands-on AI training is now a necessity—not a bonus.

This audio is presented by Hacker Noon, where anyone can learn anything about any technology. Bridging the AI Chasm, The Evolution of Cyber Security Skills, by Kushvi Pandey The cyber security world has been transformed. The days of using simple malware and phishing attacks are over for attackers. Now, cyber criminals are using AI to automate fraud and evade defenses, while generating super realistic deepfakes to commit fraud. The problem? Cybersecurity specialists are ill-prepared to face these AI-driven threats, creating an urgent crisis. The skills gap in cybersecurity has been widely reported with over 4 million unfulfilled roles worldwide. However, the latter is a more serious problem, a skills mismatch.

It's not just a case of insufficient cybersecurity practitioners, it's a case of them lacking the right skills to guard against trendy threats. This is a matter that needs to be discussed urgently. Why cybersecurity skills need to evolve? Cybersecurity is a very different place than it once was. Long story short, attackers are already outpacing defenders and using AI to create more complex, large-scale attacks. But for the most part, cybersecurity professionals remain inexperienced in eye-driven defense strategies.

A World Economic Forum report found that 68% of cybersecurity jobs now require skills associated with artificial intelligence. Still, less than 20% of workers have received considerable training in the technology. Thysbrode skills gap is a serious problem, particularly in an environment where attackers innovate faster than defenders. The transition to AI has created a cyber security desert in which security teams cannot address eye-driven cyber threats. The answer to this problem is simple. Cybersecurity professionals must adapt quickly.

This includes knowing how AI is integrated into offensive and defensive campaigns, and embracing AI for security techniques as a skill set. Recent cybersecurity threats, the wake-up call, suppose the skills gap wasn't a cause for serious concern. In that case, the recent spate of cyberattacks shows that organizations need more than more professionals, better trained professionals, and they need them now. Movid data breach, June 2023. A Movid file transfer software flaw resulted in a massive data breach, impacting around

100 million individuals, Wikipedia. This was a sign that attackers are exploiting weak links in popular software. IRLeaks attack on Iranian banks, August 2024. A hacker group known as IRLeaks targeted several Iranian banks, stealing sensitive data and demanding millions of dollars in ransom from financial institutions. Wikipedia, CrowdStrike update disaster, July 2024, a botched update to CrowdStrike's Falcon sensor software resulted in 8.5 million Windows systems crashing worldwide, and approximately

10 billion dollars in damages. Even a good faith security update can wreak havoc if not executed properly. Wikipedia, Experiences like these illustrate the real-world impact of the cyber security skills gap. It is increasingly vital that we can predict, track, and mitigate these threats through AI-enabled strategies. How the sector is bridging the AI skills gap? The good news? The industry isn't turning its back on the issue. Industry giants are a stepping in to bridge the gap, providing much-needed support. In November 2020, rising cybersecurity organizations and certificate authorities, such

as, ISC, Tu and ISACA, introduced enhanced training and certification paths for AI in enterprise security. Certifications that are raising the bar. The leading cybersecurity certification training providers have overhauled their curricula to embrace AI-based defense protocols, which will help security experts stay ahead of the thread curve. EC Council, best known for its certified ethical hacker, CHE, program, EC Council has interwoven its eye-powered thread detection and hands-on hacking simulations into CEHV13. In addition to CHE, EC Council provides CCSIO, CPNT, CHFI, and CCT certifications.

ISC2 added AI risk management techniques to the CISSP certification. GIAC, AI-driven pentesting and forensic analysis are being integrated into advanced GIAC certifications. Cisco, CCNP Security and CyberOps now train professionals for AI-based network security and automated threat response. These changes illustrate a simple fact, cyber security professionals can't afford TO be stuck in the past. The industry is evolving, and defenders must adopt AI, not merely respond to it. Big tech is investing in cyber security training. Besides certifications, tech giants are also turning up to help fill the cyber security

skills gap. Recently, Microsoft announced that it would train 1 million professionals in skills related to iDriven security, with a particular focus on emerging markets. Microsoft, Google kicks off a new era of cyber security with a brand new suite of advanced security training programs that will educate security teams on eye-powered cyber defense strategies. Google, cyber security's future, adapt or be left behind. Cyber criminals are as quick to adapt to AI. They're deploying it to automate phishing campaigns, crank out malware that adjusts

on the fly, and produce deep fake scams that outsmart even the best security systems. The question now isn't whether cybersecurity professionals need AI expertise, it's how quickly they can acquire it. What needs to happen next? 1. Security needs to be deep IT wide. AI applications aren't nice anymore, they're a need.

Hands-on practice with AI-based tools and threat detection is crucial for every cyber security professional. 2. Certifications need to be up with the times. As cyber criminals step up, the industry must continue developing AI-driven defense strategies as part of training programs. 3. Continuous learning is non-negotiable, cyber threats evolve daily.

Cyber specialists must protect and defend against it, and that new skill has become far more challenging to navigate. This underscores training and continuing education's critical role in upskilling to meet that demand. The future of cybersecurity doesn't simply involve hiring more professionals, it's about ensuring they have the skills needed to battle AI-powered threats. Because in the cybersecurity world, adapt or die, tip this story was distributed as a release by Kushvi Pandey under Hacker Noon's business blogging program. Learn more about the program here.

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