Cybersecurity Skills in 2026

The UK Cybersecurity Skills Gap: What Employers Need to Know in 2026

Published by CV Screen | UK Cybersecurity Recruitment Specialists

The UK has made real progress on its cybersecurity workforce. Graduate numbers are up and the headline skills gap has narrowed significantly. Yet for most organisations trying to hire a skilled SOC analyst, security architect, or penetration tester right now, the reality on the ground is still frustrating.

Here is what the data tells us, and what it means for your recruitment strategy.

The Numbers

The UK cybersecurity workforce reached approximately 143,000 professionals in 2024, growing 5% year-on-year. The workforce gap has narrowed from 11,100 in 2023 to around 3,800 today, according to the DSIT Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2025 report — the government’s authoritative annual study.

Encouraging on the surface. But nearly half of UK businesses (49%) still report gaps in basic cyber skills, and 30% report gaps in advanced areas like penetration testing and forensic analysis. These figures have barely shifted across six years of data collection. Workforce growth alone is not solving the problem.

Cyber Bottlenecks

Mid-level talent is the bottleneck. Employers need professionals with two to six years of hands-on experience, but the pipeline skews heavily towards recent graduates who lack that practical depth.

Advanced specialisms are acutely hard to fill. AI security, cloud security, and incident response roles are particularly competitive. ISC2 identifies AI and machine learning as the number one skill requirement in cybersecurity for 2026 — a gap likely to widen before it narrows.

Diversity remains a missed opportunity. Women make up just 17% of the UK cybersecurity workforce, falling to 12% at senior levels, compared to 48% in the wider workforce. An industry drawing from half the available talent pool will always face supply constraints. Employers who hire inclusively have a genuine advantage.

The public sector is losing the talent war. Competing against private sector salaries, flexible working, and performance bonuses is increasingly difficult for public bodies — yet government, the NHS, and critical infrastructure are among the highest-value targets for attack.

What This Means If You Are Hiring Now

• Move quickly. Strong mid-level candidates are fielding multiple offers. A slow process will cost you talent.
• Benchmark salaries properly. Regional pay gaps are narrowing and the market has shifted. Last year’s offer may already be uncompetitive.
• Be realistic about requirements. Overly demanding job specs narrow your pool and extend time-to-hire unnecessarily.
• Think pipeline, not just headcount. Apprentices and graduates today become your senior hires in three to five years.

How CV Screen Can Help

CV Screen is a specialist recruitment consultancy placing cybersecurity professionals across the UK — from SOC analysts and penetration testers to security architects and CISOs. We help employers build realistic hiring briefs, benchmark salaries accurately, and access talent that standard job board advertising won’t reach.

Get in touch with the CV Screen team to discuss your cybersecurity hiring needs.

This article draws on the DSIT Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2025 report, ISC2 research, and Gartner analysis.