GITNUXREPORT 2025

Hr In The Cyber Security Industry Statistics

Cybersecurity HR faces talent shortages, training needs, remote work, and automation challenges.

Jannik Lindner

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

28% of HR managers in cybersecurity report that challenges in diversity hiring slow their recruitment process

Statistic 2

94% of HR professionals in cybersecurity say diversity and inclusion initiatives improve hiring outcomes

Statistic 3

64% of HR professionals in cybersecurity report that employee engagement initiatives contribute to better security practices

Statistic 4

43% of HR departments in cybersecurity find it challenging to keep retention incentives competitive

Statistic 5

70% of cybersecurity HR teams consider retention strategies as more critical than acquisition

Statistic 6

59% of HR departments in cybersecurity consider employee well-being programs as part of their retention strategies

Statistic 7

57% of HR departments in cybersecurity use AI tools for screening candidates

Statistic 8

41% of cybersecurity HR teams use virtual reality (VR) in the onboarding process

Statistic 9

68% of cybersecurity HR teams report that automation has streamlined their recruitment process

Statistic 10

73% of cybersecurity companies provide specialized training for HR staff to better understand cybersecurity roles

Statistic 11

48% of HR professionals say their organization offers cyber-specific onboarding programs

Statistic 12

59% of HR professionals spend over 20% of their time on cybersecurity role-specific training and development

Statistic 13

61% of HR professionals believe that certification programs like CISSP improve hiring quality

Statistic 14

77% of cybersecurity organizations provide ongoing HR-led cybersecurity awareness programs

Statistic 15

83% of HR teams in cybersecurity emphasize continuous learning and certification renewal as part of their retention strategy

Statistic 16

49% of HR departments in cybersecurity have established mentorship programs to develop internal talent

Statistic 17

85% of cybersecurity companies train HR staff on the latest cybersecurity threats

Statistic 18

65% of cybersecurity firms report hiring difficulties due to a lack of skilled HR personnel

Statistic 19

78% of HR professionals in cybersecurity say attracting talent is their top challenge

Statistic 20

The average time to fill a cybersecurity position is 45 days

Statistic 21

42% of cybersecurity organizations plan to increase HR headcount in the next year

Statistic 22

56% of HR professionals in cybersecurity reported difficulty in retaining skilled staff

Statistic 23

82% of CISOs believe that improved HR practices could help reduce cybersecurity staffing shortages

Statistic 24

58% of cybersecurity HR professionals prioritize soft skills during recruitment

Statistic 25

69% of HR teams in cybersecurity report that remote work impacts their hiring processes positively

Statistic 26

44% of cybersecurity cybersecurity roles require security clearances, complicating HR recruitment efforts

Statistic 27

33% of cybersecurity organizations have internal HR teams dedicated solely to cybersecurity recruitment

Statistic 28

80% of HR professionals in cybersecurity are concerned about the talent gap

Statistic 29

62% of cybersecurity firms report an increase in HR budget allocations over the last two years

Statistic 30

76% of cybersecurity HR teams use competency-based interviewing techniques

Statistic 31

67% of cybersecurity organizations have a formal succession planning process for key HR and cybersecurity roles

Statistic 32

54% of cybersecurity hiring managers report difficulties in verifying candidates’ cybersecurity skills

Statistic 33

72% of companies in the cybersecurity sector conduct background checks more rigorously than in other industries

Statistic 34

52% of HR in cybersecurity report difficulty in onboarding due to the specialized nature of roles

Statistic 35

68% of HR professionals in cybersecurity said that employee turnover directly affects security posture

Statistic 36

45% of cybersecurity firms report a lack of qualified HR staff as a barrier to effective talent acquisition

Statistic 37

50% of cybersecurity HR teams measure the effectiveness of their hiring process through candidate success metrics

Statistic 38

36% of HR managers in cybersecurity say that the gig economy has increased recruitment flexibility

Statistic 39

55% of cybersecurity organizations recognize the importance of soft skills like communication and teamwork

Statistic 40

74% of HR professionals in cybersecurity report difficulty in finding candidates with niche cybersecurity certifications

Statistic 41

69% of cybersecurity HR teams have adopted flexible work policies to attract talent

Statistic 42

41% of cybersecurity firms offer internship programs as part of their HR recruitment strategy

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Key Highlights

  • 65% of cybersecurity firms report hiring difficulties due to a lack of skilled HR personnel
  • 78% of HR professionals in cybersecurity say attracting talent is their top challenge
  • The average time to fill a cybersecurity position is 45 days
  • 42% of cybersecurity organizations plan to increase HR headcount in the next year
  • 56% of HR professionals in cybersecurity reported difficulty in retaining skilled staff
  • 73% of cybersecurity companies provide specialized training for HR staff to better understand cybersecurity roles
  • 82% of CISOs believe that improved HR practices could help reduce cybersecurity staffing shortages
  • 58% of cybersecurity HR professionals prioritize soft skills during recruitment
  • 69% of HR teams in cybersecurity report that remote work impacts their hiring processes positively
  • 44% of cybersecurity cybersecurity roles require security clearances, complicating HR recruitment efforts
  • 57% of HR departments in cybersecurity use AI tools for screening candidates
  • 48% of HR professionals say their organization offers cyber-specific onboarding programs
  • 33% of cybersecurity organizations have internal HR teams dedicated solely to cybersecurity recruitment

Struggling to fill vital cybersecurity roles? With over 65% of firms facing hiring challenges and more than three-quarters highlighting talent attraction as their top hurdle, HR in the cyber industry is undergoing a seismic shift fueled by innovative practices, skill shortages, and a pressing need for strategic talent management.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Employee Engagement

  • 28% of HR managers in cybersecurity report that challenges in diversity hiring slow their recruitment process
  • 94% of HR professionals in cybersecurity say diversity and inclusion initiatives improve hiring outcomes
  • 64% of HR professionals in cybersecurity report that employee engagement initiatives contribute to better security practices

Diversity, Inclusion, and Employee Engagement Interpretation

While over a quarter of cybersecurity HR managers cite diversity hiring hurdles as a speed bump, nearly all recognize that embracing inclusion and engagement not only accelerates recruitment but fortifies the industry's overall security posture.

Retention Strategies and Organizational Practices

  • 43% of HR departments in cybersecurity find it challenging to keep retention incentives competitive
  • 70% of cybersecurity HR teams consider retention strategies as more critical than acquisition
  • 59% of HR departments in cybersecurity consider employee well-being programs as part of their retention strategies

Retention Strategies and Organizational Practices Interpretation

With nearly half of cybersecurity HR teams struggling to keep retention incentives competitive and over half emphasizing employee well-being, it’s clear that in the world of cyber defense, keeping talent isn’t just about pay — it’s about protecting the people as much as the networks.

Technology Adoption and Innovation in HR

  • 57% of HR departments in cybersecurity use AI tools for screening candidates
  • 41% of cybersecurity HR teams use virtual reality (VR) in the onboarding process
  • 68% of cybersecurity HR teams report that automation has streamlined their recruitment process

Technology Adoption and Innovation in HR Interpretation

With over half of cybersecurity HR teams leveraging AI for screening, nearly half adopting VR for onboarding, and more than two-thirds attesting to automation's efficiency, the industry is clearly transforming talent acquisition into a high-tech battlefield—where innovation is the ultimate weapons system.

Training, Certification, and Skill Development

  • 73% of cybersecurity companies provide specialized training for HR staff to better understand cybersecurity roles
  • 48% of HR professionals say their organization offers cyber-specific onboarding programs
  • 59% of HR professionals spend over 20% of their time on cybersecurity role-specific training and development
  • 61% of HR professionals believe that certification programs like CISSP improve hiring quality
  • 77% of cybersecurity organizations provide ongoing HR-led cybersecurity awareness programs
  • 83% of HR teams in cybersecurity emphasize continuous learning and certification renewal as part of their retention strategy
  • 49% of HR departments in cybersecurity have established mentorship programs to develop internal talent
  • 85% of cybersecurity companies train HR staff on the latest cybersecurity threats

Training, Certification, and Skill Development Interpretation

With 73% of cybersecurity firms investing in specialized HR training and a striking 85% equipping their HR teams with up-to-date threat knowledge, it's clear that in the digital battleground, HR isn't just hiring — they're arming, educating, and evolving to keep pace with the ever-changing cyber threat landscape.

Workforce Challenges and Staffing Trends

  • 65% of cybersecurity firms report hiring difficulties due to a lack of skilled HR personnel
  • 78% of HR professionals in cybersecurity say attracting talent is their top challenge
  • The average time to fill a cybersecurity position is 45 days
  • 42% of cybersecurity organizations plan to increase HR headcount in the next year
  • 56% of HR professionals in cybersecurity reported difficulty in retaining skilled staff
  • 82% of CISOs believe that improved HR practices could help reduce cybersecurity staffing shortages
  • 58% of cybersecurity HR professionals prioritize soft skills during recruitment
  • 69% of HR teams in cybersecurity report that remote work impacts their hiring processes positively
  • 44% of cybersecurity cybersecurity roles require security clearances, complicating HR recruitment efforts
  • 33% of cybersecurity organizations have internal HR teams dedicated solely to cybersecurity recruitment
  • 80% of HR professionals in cybersecurity are concerned about the talent gap
  • 62% of cybersecurity firms report an increase in HR budget allocations over the last two years
  • 76% of cybersecurity HR teams use competency-based interviewing techniques
  • 67% of cybersecurity organizations have a formal succession planning process for key HR and cybersecurity roles
  • 54% of cybersecurity hiring managers report difficulties in verifying candidates’ cybersecurity skills
  • 72% of companies in the cybersecurity sector conduct background checks more rigorously than in other industries
  • 52% of HR in cybersecurity report difficulty in onboarding due to the specialized nature of roles
  • 68% of HR professionals in cybersecurity said that employee turnover directly affects security posture
  • 45% of cybersecurity firms report a lack of qualified HR staff as a barrier to effective talent acquisition
  • 50% of cybersecurity HR teams measure the effectiveness of their hiring process through candidate success metrics
  • 36% of HR managers in cybersecurity say that the gig economy has increased recruitment flexibility
  • 55% of cybersecurity organizations recognize the importance of soft skills like communication and teamwork
  • 74% of HR professionals in cybersecurity report difficulty in finding candidates with niche cybersecurity certifications
  • 69% of cybersecurity HR teams have adopted flexible work policies to attract talent
  • 41% of cybersecurity firms offer internship programs as part of their HR recruitment strategy

Workforce Challenges and Staffing Trends Interpretation

Despite deploying advanced security measures, the cybersecurity industry grapples with a critical human firewall—its own HR gap—where 65% struggle to find skilled personnel, forcing firms to weigh soft skills and flexible work policies amidst lengthy hiring processes and rigorous vetting, all while aiming to bridge a mounting talent gap that directly threatens their security posture.