Cisco has announced new findings from the AI Workforce Consortium’s latest report, AI Agents and the Impact on Cybersecurity, examining how agentic AI is reshaping cybersecurity roles and the skills security professionals need as humans and AI agents increasingly work alongside one another.
The report finds that 49% of security leaders say hands-on experience working with AI agents is among the hardest competencies to find in entry-level cybersecurity candidates, alongside technical cybersecurity depth at 48% and human-centric professional skills at 45%.The findings point to growing demand for professionals who can combine technical expertise, practical AI experience and human judgment. Together, the findings suggest entry-level cybersecurity talent increasingly needs a broader mix of capabilities to work effectively alongside AI-enabled systems.
“As AI becomes more deeply integrated into cybersecurity operations, organisations need people who can do more than operate technology. Security professionals will increasingly need to understand how to work with AI agents, validate their outputs and apply human judgment when decisions carry risk,” said Fady Younes, Managing Director, Cybersecurity, Cisco Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, Caucasus and Central Asia (METAC). “Developing these capabilities will be essential as organisations prepare for the next phase of AI-enabled security.”
The research also shows that cybersecurity work is shifting from manual execution toward strategic orchestration, with people increasingly setting objectives, guardrails and measures of success while AI agents execute tasks within those boundaries.
AI is reshaping cybersecurity roles and skills
As AI agents take on more execution-based activities, the skills required of cybersecurity professionals are also changing. The report highlights a growing need for people who can combine technical expertise with the ability to assess AI-generated outcomes, communicate effectively and apply judgment when automated systems need to be challenged.
Separate job-market analysis included in the report reinforces this shift. Cybersecurity job postings requiring AI skills doubled year-on-year across the G7 markets analysed. In the six months ending March 2026, senior-titled cybersecurity job postings also grew 65%, compared with 5.9% growth for junior-titled roles. Together, these findings point to increasing demand for AI capabilities and more experienced talent as cybersecurity roles evolve.
Security investment is shifting toward AI-powered defence
Organisations are also changing where they direct cybersecurity investment. The report finds that 36% selected AI-powered defence among their top three security investment priorities for the next two years, ahead of improving detection and response time at 32%, and improving application security at 27%.
The findings reinforce the need to develop workforce capabilities alongside investment in advanced security technologies, as people increasingly take responsibility for setting guardrails, governing AI-enabled systems and validating their outputs.
Preparing the cybersecurity workforce for what comes next
The Consortium recommends continuous upskilling in agentic AI and greater access to hands-on learning. It also calls for education and training that help cybersecurity professionals develop practical AI experience alongside durable skills such as critical thinking, communication and judgment.
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