Barracuda Networks has released its Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report. It shows how AI, identity-based attacks and growing digital operations are straining security teams.
Globally, 94% of organisations report cybersecurity skills gaps. The most common problems relate to AI risks, cited by 81% in India and 68% worldwide. The next most common are advanced identity and phishing threats, cited by 80% in India and 67% worldwide. These include business email compromise, OAuth abuse and multifactor authentication bypass. Barracuda Research based the report on an international survey of 2,000 IT and security decision-makers.
Teams Are Stretched
Security teams are struggling to keep up with growing duties. Half of respondents say their security staff must support expanding digital operations without extra resources. Some 40% say business expectations exceed the team’s skills and tools. Some 35% say expectations exceed staffing capacity.
As a result, 80% of Indian respondents and 67% globally say their teams struggle to scale with growing business needs. Nearly a third globally (32%) say they can protect the business only reactively, not proactively.
Siroui Mushegian, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Barracuda, said AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape faster than many teams can build the skills, visibility and governance they need. She said organisations must reshape their security teams. They should combine AI and automation with human expertise, judgement and visibility. She added that the industry must also nurture the next generation of professionals through new development paths and hands-on experience.
AI Is Changing Roles, Not Removing the Need for People
In India, 88% of organisations say AI is already affecting security roles or headcount. About two-thirds (66%) have cut professional staff because of AI. The cuts are split evenly between entry-level and senior positions.
Organisations still rely on people for critical decisions. Almost two-thirds (62%) use a shared decision-making model in incident response. AI supports investigation and analysis, while people keep responsibility for context, judgement and final decisions.
Reshaping Cybersecurity Careers
Organisations are adopting consolidated security tools. AI is also taking on more routine analysis and response. As a result, human roles are shifting towards threat investigation, incident leadership, automation governance and business risk management.
More than two-thirds (71%) of Indian organisations say they need more skills in incident response, decision-making under pressure and risk. These shortages could deepen if firms automate entry-level work without building clear development paths for new professionals.
The meaning of a senior security professional is also widening. Technical expertise is still essential. It must now be paired with AI literacy, identity security knowledge, governance awareness and strong communication skills, as cybersecurity becomes a board-level business issue. Some 73% report skills needs in strategic security leadership. This includes AI governance and turning technical risk into business impact.
