Report by ISC2
2025 Cybersecurity Hiring Trends Report
Key Findings
Three of the top five skills prioritised by cybersecurity hiring managers are non-technical abilities.
53% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect junior-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Backup, Recovery and Business Continuity.
30% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Physical Access Controls.
84% of cybersecurity hiring managers use skills-based assessments and/or tests for entry- and junior-level cybersecurity applicants.
46% of cybersecurity hiring managers believe apprenticeships are effective methods for identifying early-career talent.
50% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect junior-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Penetration Testing.
54% of cybersecurity hiring managers have passed on candidates due to their social media activity
Cybersecurity hiring managers reported spending between U.S. $1,000 and $4,999 to train entry-level (45%) and junior-level (38%) team members to handle tasks independently.
Most cybersecurity hiring managers surveyed (91%) reported providing professional development opportunities for entry- and junior-level team members during work hours.
43% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle documentation of processes and procedures.
55% of cybersecurity hiring managers believe internships are effective methods for identifying early-career talent.
35% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Alert and Event Management.
When evaluating candidates, 89% of cybersecurity hiring managers would consider candidates with only entry-level cybersecurity certifications.
81% of cybersecurity hiring managers would consider candidates who only have an education in IT, cybersecurity or computer science.
45% of cybersecurity hiring managers stated that training junior-level cybersecurity team members to handle tasks independently typically takes 4–9 months.
A majority of cybersecurity hiring managers surveyed (56%) stated that training entry-level cybersecurity team members to handle tasks independently typically takes 4–9 months.
32% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Reporting (Developing, Producing).
29% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle User Awareness Training.
53% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect junior-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Intrusion Detection.
51% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect junior-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Alert and Event Management.
When evaluating candidates, 90% of cybersecurity hiring managers would consider candidates with prior IT work experience only.
Nearly 25% of cybersecurity hiring managers who recruit from education programmes (55% of participants) have sourced candidates from programmes outside of computer science, IT or cybersecurity.
50% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect junior-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Relevant Frameworks.
35% of cybersecurity hiring managers expect entry-level cybersecurity professionals to handle Alert and Event Management.
45% of cybersecurity hiring managers stated that training junior-level cybersecurity team members to handle tasks independently typically takes 4–9 months.