Against a backdrop of uncertainty, employers across the economy continue to build their cybersecurity capacity through talent acquisition and skills development, according to new data from CyberSeek™, the most comprehensive source of information on the U.S. cybersecurity workforce.
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Employers in the private and public sectors deployed 514,359 job listings over the past 12 months1 in recruiting for dedicated cybersecurity jobs and adjacent technical positions with a heavy cybersecurity skills requirement. This represents an increase of nearly 57,000 listings, or 12% over the lull in hiring activity during the prior 12-month reporting period.
The new CyberSeek data release and website refresh coincides with the 2025 NICE Conference & Expo, taking place in Denver. This year’s conference theme “Climbing Higher: Educating & Sustaining a Resilient Cybersecurity Workforce” reinforces the need for robust data and insights to inform strategic planning across private and public sector organizations.
“The cybersecurity workforce needs of organizations continue to climb higher and should compel us to scale and sustain education and workforce development programs,” said Rodney Petersen, director of NICE. “The CyberSeek data, based on actual job postings, also reinforces the importance of employers providing realistic entry-level opportunities for aspiring cybersecurity workers and prioritizing the ongoing development of talent.”
One of the new data additions to CyberSeek is the percent of cybersecurity job listings that cite an artificial intelligence (AI) skills requirement. Over the past 12 months, approximately 10% of employers recruiting for cybersecurity positions cited AI as a requirement. For other segments of employers, it may be an implied skill requirement not explicitly mentioned in the job listing.
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For the first time CyberSeek is providing a global cybersecurity employment baseline, which stands at an estimated 4,970,000, with a range estimate of 4.4m to 5.5m using lower-end and higher-end estimation factors. This figure encompasses dedicated cybersecurity professionals and adjacent IT professionals with significant cybersecurity responsibilities.
“Despite broader economic uncertainty, demand for cybersecurity talent remains high, with a workforce gap continuing to challenge both the public and private sectors,” said Matthew Walsh, Research Director at Lightcast. “In this update to CyberSeek, Lightcast and CompTIA are proud to introduce a global estimate of the cybersecurity workforce, along with new insights on the growing intersection of cybersecurity and AI skills. These data provide valuable insights for employers, policymakers, educators, and jobseekers navigating today’s evolving cybersecurity landscape.”
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