Cybersecurity Teams Struggle to Scale With AI Changes
A Barracuda survey of 2,000 IT and security decision-makers finds widespread skills gaps as AI reshapes security roles.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Security vendor Barracuda reported that 67% of IT and security decision-makers say security teams are struggling to scale to meet evolving business needs. The company also found that 56% of respondents report a reduction in security headcount linked to AI, split evenly between entry-level and senior roles.
Why it matters
AI is changing the cybersecurity landscape faster than many security teams can build the necessary skills, visibility, and governance. The most common challenges respondents cited are AI-related risks (68%) and advanced identity and phishing threats (67%).
The Barracuda Cybersecurity Skills Gap report surveyed 2,000 IT and security decision-makers, with 68% citing AI-related risks and 67% citing advanced identity and phishing threats as top challenges. Whether AI-linked headcount cuts will be offset by new hiring is not addressed in the report.
The players
Barracuda
Barracuda is a security vendor that publishes annual research on cybersecurity workforce trends.
Foundry
Foundry is a technology media and research company that publishes the Security Priorities report.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is a technology skills platform that publishes the annual Tech Skills Report.
The details
Half of respondents say security professionals are expected to support growing digital operations without additional resources. Foundry's Security Priorities report found cloud security (35%), agentic AI security (34%), and AI/ML-enabled technology security (30%) topped skill needs, while cloud security architects, AI security specialists, and forensics analysts were the hardest roles to fill.
Timeline
Cybersecurity job postings requiring AI skills doubled year over year across G7 countries.
Pluralsight's Tech Skills Report 2026 published UK skills gap cost estimates.
Big Picture
The Barracuda findings extend the skills-gap analysis in Pluralsight's Tech Skills Report 2026, which estimated UK professionals' skills gaps cost at least £380,000 (US$500,000) each year. The new survey adds that 56% of respondents report AI-linked security headcount reductions, suggesting the gap is being shaped by AI adoption rather than only by a shortage of trained staff.
Organizations facing skills gaps may see delayed or abandoned cybersecurity projects, since 43% of professionals say skills gaps are a common reason for abandoning them. Users may feel the effects through slower incident response or security incidents, with a quarter of professionals reporting such incidents over the past 12 months due to skills gaps.
The takeaway
Security teams that invest in AI governance, cloud security, and forensics skills are better positioned to keep pace with evolving threats. Treating skills development as a core part of security planning, rather than an afterthought, can reduce the risk of costly incidents.
Further reading
Explore more on Cybersecurity to see how security teams are adapting to AI-driven threats and workforce pressure.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CSO Online.
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