Most cybersecurity experts believe that advances in generator AI and machine learning will change the way they work faster than they do later. In a 2024 ISC2 survey of security experts, 88% predicted that AI would significantly change jobs within two years, while 35% said they already had one.
Future-oriented organizations aim to upskill existing cybersecurity staff of new technologies to meet evolving internal needs. Some people formally combine AI and security skillsets to create positions to launch new cybersecurity career opportunities. New AI cybersecurity jobs include, for example, AI/ML security engineers, AI cybersecurity analysts, AI security operations consultants, and Genai security development managers.
Demand for AI Security Expertise
While some people are worried about Genai getting rid of cybersecurity pros, industry experts generally expect it to help, rather than replace it with a security operations center. As a result, the demand for employees with both AI and cybersecurity skills is expected to grow.
Within the cybersecurity program, CISOS hopes that Genai will help ease the skills gap by taking some of the most boring and repetitive tasks from the human operator's plate and freeing it for higher levels of strategic work. Key AI cybersecurity use cases include automating false positive alert identification and vulnerability management. In this context, SECOPS teams need to understand how to effectively use AI tools and how to combat new AI-driven cyber threats.
More broadly, business leaders are keen to deploy Genai for strategic advantages across the enterprise. These systems need cybersecurity staff who know how to protect them from cyber attacks and maintain the integrity of their data output.
4 Emerging AI Cyber Security Jobs
This security realm is still in the early days, but AI cybersecurity authentication and AI cybersecurity positions have already emerged, with job lists appearing on LinkedIn, actually on employment sites.
Think about the next role of AI cybersecurity and how job seekers will take advantage of such opportunities.
1. AI/ML Security Engineer
The primary responsibility of an AI/ML security engineer is to ensure the integrity and security of the organization's AI model and systems. This typically involves conducting security architecture assessments on new and established AI systems and investigating new AI security methodologies.
Practitioners in this field should have both an overall overall cybersecurity domain expertise and a concrete understanding of AI/ML systems and processes.
Other factors, such as the exact level of experience and security clearance requirements, vary from organization to organization. That said, companies are generally looking for AI/ML security engineering candidates with degrees in computer science or related fields and at least 10 years of cybersecurity experience.
2. AI Cyber Security Analyst
AI security analysts use AI/ML technology to protect their corporate systems from cyberattacks. They use AI tools to enhance threat detection and incident response efforts and monitor threat situations. It may also be involved in the development and training of AI models and algorithms for SECOPS purposes.
Additionally, AI cybersecurity analysts may have expertise in combating AI-driven malware and other threats generated by AI.
Although certain job requirements vary depending on the employing of the organization, employers generally look for security specialists with STEM-related academic credentials. At least 10 years of cybersecurity experience and expertise in AI tools and threats.
3. AI Security Operations Consultant
Organizations lacking internal AI resources often seek third-party consultants to improve their security attitude and overall efficiency. These consultants can support businesses in the following ways:
Third-party consulting companies generally aim to hire veteran experts with a strong background in AI cybersecurity and expertise in these positions. Key vertical experiences such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and more are particularly beneficial.
4. GenaiSecurity Development Manager
Genai Security Development Managers builds the safety management of your organization's internal Genai systems.
Employment managers generally look for individuals with extensive development expertise who build systems from scratch and are enthusiastic about learning to use these models and systems, if not deep genai skills.
Amy Larsen DeCarlo has covered the IT industry for over 30 years as a journalist, editor and analyst. As a principal analyst at GlobalData, she covers Managed Security and Cloud Services.
