56% of companies are considering new hiring for skill improvement.

61% of respondents indicate that adaptability is very important in determining a cybersecurity applicant's qualifications.

The top three most important soft skills needed by security professionals are critical thinking (57%), communication (56%), and problem solving (47%).

Soft skills are the largest reported skill gap in cybersecurity, increasing from 51% in 2024 to 59% in 2025.

Prior hands-on cybersecurity experience is considered very important by 60% of respondents, marking a decline from 73% last year.

Professional development training is the most common employer benefit at 60%, three percentage points higher than last year.

Employer-paid employee certification fees dropped to the second most common benefit, offered by only 54% of respondents, a decrease from 65% in 2024

21% of cybersecurity professionals say AI has changed their hiring plans and priorities in their organizations.

Nearly half (44%) of cybersecurity professionals agreed that their organization's cybersecurity hiring has not yet been affected by the introduction of AI security tools.

44% of organizations say it’s difficult to hire for automation and AI roles.

44% of organizations say it’s difficult to hire for automation and AI roles.

18% of organizations are expanding hiring for roles focused on AI governance, automation oversight, and data protection.