Will AI Replace Cybersecurity Jobs in 2026? - Spiceworks

David Weldon April 8, 2026 (Credits: chaylek/Shutterstock) The rapid adoption of AI technologies is strengthening cyber defenses for many organizations while placing greater focus on the need for certain security jobs. At the same time, it’s endangering many entry-level and low-level cyber roles that can now be done by AI agents. There are two significant impacts of these trends. At a higher cybersecurity job level, demand is high and so are paychecks. For low-level and entry-level jobs, candidates are no longer just competing against other security pros for work. They are also competing against AI-assisted productivity from more senior staff. This ultimately reduces entry-level pathways into cybersecurity work, disrupting the long-term talent pipeline. “You lose the base of people who learn your environment and grow into senior and manager roles,” explains Zachary Lewis, CIO and CISO, University of Health Sciences and PharmacyOpens a new window (UHSP) in St. Louis. “You end up hiring externally for leadership more often, which is typically slower and riskier.” Entry-level and low-level cybersecurity jobs at risk The number of traditional entry-level apprenticeship security tasks is clearly being reduced by AI, including, routine analysis, drafting, and first-pass triage.  Compounding this is the challenge facing lower-level IT workers in terms of expected business skills and organizational knowledge they should have to be effective in today’s AI-driven cybersecurity environment. The issue is straightforward: in the age of AI, identity, access management, and data governance are vital. If you work as a cybersecurity professional, you need to understand where a company’s data is going and who has access to it. It’s critical to prevent widespread data loss of key company information. However, Lewis says that those talents usually develop after a few years on the job. “From our data, cybersecurity is becoming the most credential-heavy sector,” explains Sam Wright, head of career strategy at career services firm Huntr.coOpens a new window . ”68% of security resumes now feature professional certifications – the highest of any industry we track – as AI-driven threats require verified human expertise to counter automated attacks.” The overarching trend is a large skill and expertise gap in the cybersecurity ranks. AI is automating the gatekeeping of low-level jobs while also establishing a new class of highly compensated leadership positions. To land these roles, you must demonstrate how you will have a direct impact on an organization’s success, rather than simply listing more skills and credentials.   The state of cybersecurity hiring More broadly, cybersecurity hiring continues to lag behind demand. Open roles still outnumber qualified talent. That gap is projected to persist through at least 2028, even as automation and tooling accelerate, according to Vijay Swaminathan, CEO of a workforce planning company DraupOpens a new window . Draup recently conducted a studyOpens a new window on the impact of AI on businesses, technology investments, and cybersecurity practices. The report investigates how wage pressure, automation, and the migration of technology talent across regions are transforming the global labor market, with a particular emphasis on skills, hiring costs, and how AI is being used in the workplace.  According to Swaminathan, important cybersecurity findings from the report are: Cybersecurity skills are depleting faster than teams can retrain. Core technology skills now have a half-life of less than two years, with around 40% anticipated to be partially obsolete by 2027. Compensation models are evolving from role-based to skills-based designs. Domains such as AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity are seeing more pay differential based on specialized talents rather than job titles. Labor cost arbitrage is no longer the main workforce lever. The analysis reveals that the cost difference for cybersecurity architects is shrinking across geographies, lowering the advantage of outsourcing and boosting global competition for the same expertise.  New cybersecurity job roles If you’re looking to capitalize on the growing demand for skilled security talent, consider roles such as AI security analyst and threat intelligence engineer, who integrate machine learning models with cybersecurity operations, according to Jacob Kalvo, tech and cybersecurity expert, co-founder, and CEO of Live ProxiesOpens a new window . Another promising career path is AI governance and compliance officer, a role that’s responsible for ensuring that AI systems fulfill safety, ethical, and regulatory standards. Roles like data scientist with a cybersecurity concentration have also grown important, as they bridge the gap between developing AI models and applying them to real-world security concerns. AI has fundamentally boosted Kalvo’s cybersecurity posture, confirming the requirement for highly qualified cybersecurity professionals. AI helps the company to detect irregularities and potential threats in real time across the huge amount of traffic passing through its proxies. AI-powered systems can detect anomalous access patterns that may signal scraping abuse, bot attacks, or attempted breaches far faster than traditional monitoring, according to Kalvo. This has also decreased false positives, allowing the company’s security personnel to focus on serious threats rather than chasing down inconsequential alarms.  Business are skills more important than ever With higher expectations for cybersecurity positions, business acumen is now the most essential differentiator between candidates. New hires must grasp how the organization runs, how it generates revenue or maintains funding, who its customers and stakeholders are, what its workflows look like, and where operational risk exists. “Security and IT can’t secure what they don’t understand,” Lewis asserts. “AI can assist, but it still struggles to build true context without comprehensive access to people, processes, and data, and that access is often not appropriate or available.” Specific technical abilities are required. These include Python, data modelling, anomaly detection, and the creation of AI and machine learning algorithms. Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks, incident response, and real-time monitoring systems is also required. A valuable emerging skill is AI engineering strategy. Wright claims that experience today commands a 112% wage premium over market averages. Candidates with appropriate machine learning degrees can expect a 50% wage increase. On the business side, cybersecurity professionals require excellent analytical thinking, project management, and risk assessment skills. Communication abilities are often underestimated, despite their importance. Anyone working in these roles must convert technical AI insights into meaningful commercial decisions for both management and clients.  The impact on recruiting and outsourcing cybersecurity roles For highly specialized positions such as AI security analyst, Kalvo says his company primarily recruits externally, targeting candidates with a strong background in both cybersecurity and machine learning. For other roles, Live Proxies upskills its current security team with targeted training programs, workshops, and certifications. “In some areas where demand spikes suddenly or expertise is niche, we temporarily outsource certain tasks to AI consulting firms to accelerate deployment while building internal capability,” Kalvo explains. Recruiting externally takes time, and competition for top talent is fierce, he says. Upskilling internal employees is effective, though it requires significant investments in training and time before they reach full productivity in these hybrid roles. Outsourcing can help temporarily, but it comes with trade-offs in terms of control and alignment with company-specific security practices. Most importantly, employers are looking for depth over density, Wright says. Hiring has grown more difficult as the median experience required for high-level tech roles has stretched to 14-18 years. Most companies are now upskilling existing senior security engineers rather than finding ready-made AI security experts. Share This Article: David Weldon David is a freelance editor, writer and research analyst from the Boston area. He has worked in a full-time senior editorial capacity at several leading media companies, covering topics related to information technology and business management. As a freelancer, he has contributed to over 100 publications and web sites, writing white papers, research reports, online courses, feature articles, executive profiles and columns. His special areas of concentration are in technology, data management and analytics, management practices, workforce and workplace trends, benefits and compensation, education, and healthcare. Contact him at dweldon646@comcast.net Do you still have questions? Head over to the Spiceworks Community to find answers. Take me to Community