CSOonline.com reported that “AI was supposed to make security teams more efficient, but instead, it’s making their jobs harder. Security professionals are being pulled in two directions: they’re being expected to govern their organisation’s AI use while also figuring out how to integrate the technology into their own workflows, often without proper training. The result? Overstretched teams, mounting pressure, and an ever-widening skills gap.” The April 21, 2025 article entitled ” Two ways AI hype is worsening the cybersecurity skills crisis” (https://www.csoonline.com/article/3958818/two-ways-ai-hype-is-worsening-the-cybersecurity-skills-crisis.html?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=browser_alert&utm_source=subscribers) included these comments about “Attackers are using AI, but are defenders ready?”
AI isn’t just increasing workloads; it’s also raising expectations. Many security teams are already stretched thin, and the push to integrate AI is adding further strain. “If you’ve got a very lean team that barely has enough time to look above the parapet as it is and you’re already behind the eight ball when it comes to business as usual, and with AI that’s a challenge,” Addiscott highlights.
Another critical factor in the AI-skills shortage discussion is that attackers are also leveraging AI, putting defenders at an even greater disadvantage. Cybercriminals are using AI to generate more convincing phishing emails, automate reconnaissance, and develop malware that can evade detection. Meanwhile, security teams are struggling just to keep up.
“AI exacerbates what’s already going on at an accelerated pace,” says Rona Spiegel, cyber risk advisor at GroScale and former cloud governance leader at Wells Fargo and Cisco. “In cybersecurity, the defenders have to be right all the time, while attackers only have to be right once. AI is increasing the probability of attackers getting it right more often.”
Without proper AI training, security professionals may not even realize they are dealing with AI-generated threats. “We have a threat environment that is wanting to leverage [AI] to the nth degree … typically, [the attackers] have a lot more time and money on their hands to be able to play around with this stuff,” Addiscott says.
What do you think about AI worsening Cybersecurity skills?
First published at https://www.vogelitlaw.com/blog/ai-hype-is-worsening-cybersecurity-skills