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AI is changing cybersecurity work. But the bigger challenge for leaders may be whether their talent strategy is changing fast enough to keep up.

The organizations that succeed will not simply hire more experienced people. They will need to identify potential earlier, develop talent internally, create room for continuous learning, and rethink what entry-level cybersecurity work should look like in an AI-enabled environment.

In this episode of Musings from the Cyber Trench, I sit down with Anil Saxena, a workforce development and platform-driven learning leader at ServiceNow, to discuss what is broken in the way organizations hire, train, and develop cybersecurity talent.

We explore how AI is changing cybersecurity roles, why credentials and years of experience are incomplete measures of potential, how simulation-based learning could improve technical hiring, and why organizations need to treat cybersecurity talent as a long-term system rather than a series of positions to fill.

Anil shares practical insights on:

• Why organizations need to develop cybersecurity talent internally instead of relying primarily on experienced external hires
• Why analytical thinking, pattern recognition, curiosity, and stakeholder management become more valuable as AI automates routine work
• How leaders can evaluate cybersecurity potential beyond certifications and years of experience
• Why simulation-based exercises may provide a better way to assess how candidates solve real problems
• How AI can eliminate low-value administrative work without eliminating the need for meaningful entry-level roles
• Why cybersecurity training fails when organizations use one-size-fits-all programs without follow-up or hands-on application
• How organizations can build a cybersecurity talent pipeline around future business needs instead of reacting to vacancies
• Why mid-career cybersecurity professionals should learn to work with AI rather than compete against it
• How strong technical teams depend on leadership, shared working norms, and a common objective

The central takeaway is that cybersecurity workforce development cannot remain reactive. Organizations need to think several years ahead, identify people with the right underlying capabilities, give them meaningful opportunities to learn, and deliberately build the bench before the talent is urgently needed.

ABOUT ANIL SAXENA

Anil Saxena works in workforce development and platform-driven learning at ServiceNow, including work with ServiceNow University. His background spans engineering, organizational design, enablement, and the development of technical teams. His work focuses on how organizations build skills, develop people, and create learning systems that can scale as technology and workforce requirements change.

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defend@zephon.tech

Responsible for ICAM, Zero Trust, or identity security in a federal agency, prime, or large regulated enterprise?

If you’re trying to move from strategy to execution, start with Zephon’s Zero Trust Readiness Assessment: zephon.tech/zt

Questions or guest ideas? Email defend@zephon.tech