When Cybersecurity Stops Making Sense: What a LinkedIn Post Taught Me About a Broken System

I was casually scrolling through BBC News when I saw the headline: “North Face and Cartier hit by cyber attacks.”

It felt a bit crazy to me that there was yet another breach.

I decided to dig a little deeper. Using data from major job boards over the past year, I pulled together some quick stats about the current state of the cybersecurity job market in the UK, based on job board data only.

What I found didn’t add up:

📊 Cybersecurity Job Market Snapshot

Permanent Roles:

• 📈 Cyber Analyst roles up 6.46%

• 💸 Salaries down 13.04%

• 📈 Head of Cyber Security roles up (just under 0.5%)

• 💸 Salaries down 7.89%

Contract Roles:

• 📈 Demand for Cyber Security Analysts up 4%

• 💸 Day rates down 6.77%

I posted this on LinkedIn, expecting a few likes and maybe some discussion among connections. What I didn’t expect was…

🌍 Over 30,000+ Impressions Overnight

So now, I feel more concerned than ever.

The response was overwhelming, with comments and messages coming in from professionals all over the world.

One message in particular, was stand out for me:

A professional said, a vendor said to him: “Share prices come back up after a breach, so it’s not a problem.”

That comment was honest, I suppose, but very unsettling.

Because while there’s truth to that (and I get it may make sense from a business perspective I suppose), it speaks to a bigger and more dangerous mindset:

⚠️ Have We Stopped Caring About Cybersecurity?

If demand for cyber talent is increasing but salaries are falling... If breaches are met with indifference... If even financial markets brush them off...

Then something is seriously broken.

And it’s not just the systems under attack. It’s the mindset.

• We say cyber matters, but the pay data says otherwise

• We talk about protecting customer data, but act like breaches are routine and are happy with the way they were handled and communicated to public... after the attack happened

This isn’t just confusing - it’s concerning.

Because I’m not just someone observing the industry. I’m a consumer. My data is in those systems.

And if huge brands don't seem to care when this gets stolen... what then?

🧠 We’re Treating Symptoms, Not the Disease

So, after speaking to numerous professionals, I found that potentially the core problem, or at least one of the core problems, is strategic and not technical:

• Short-term thinking

• Misaligned incentives

• Executive detachment from risk

We’ve normalised breaches and commoditised the people fighting to prevent them. Until the business world sees cybersecurity as a strategic imperative, not just an “expensive” IT function, we’ll keep losing ground.

One professional shared with me that he hates the word "transformation" in the cyber world. In his eyes, that's the business saying, we got hacked so had to invest and once the problem is gone, there'll be layoffs. This was his opinion and also his experience, whereby his whole team had just been offshored, as they completed the "transformation project" and the budget was just cut, completely!

🤖 AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity Hiring

Another insight that came up repeatedly in the comments and messages, was how AI might already be having an effect on junior to mid-level cybersecurity roles.

Many professionals pointed out that tasks once handled by entry-level analysts, like basic threat detection, log monitoring, or routine investigations, are now being automated.

While that’s a natural progression of technology, it raises real concerns:

Where will the next generation of cybersecurity leaders come from, if we don’t invest in foundational roles now?

If we automate away the early career stepping stones, we risk creating a long-term talent gap that no tool, no matter how advanced, can fill.

🔄 Where Do We Go From Here?

I didn’t expect my quick LinkedIn post to have so many responses. But it opened my eyes to a much bigger conversation, one that clearly needs to be had.

This isn’t just about pay. It’s not even just about cyber attacks.

It’s about rebuilding the value we place on those protecting us, before it’s too late.

We need: ✅ Executive accountability ✅ Salaries that reflect responsibility ✅ A cultural shift that views cyber as core to business continuity

💬 Final Thought

AI is changing the game. It’s already starting to automate parts of cybersecurity and in some cases, even replace certain roles/parts of roles.

But here’s the reality we can’t afford to ignore:

As AI continues to evolve, our digital footprint is only getting bigger. The systems protecting our identities, finances, and private data are becoming more complex and more vulnerable.

If we don’t start valuing cybersecurity at every level, culturally, financially, and strategically, then we’re opening ourselves up to massive exposure as consumers. Not if, but when something breaks.

We can’t have hyper-advanced AI tools on one hand and outdated, underfunded security teams on the other. That imbalance is not just ironic, it’s dangerous.

I never thought a few salary stats would spark global engagement. But I’m glad they did.

If this resonates with you, keep the conversation going.

✋ A Quick Disclaimer

Let me be clear: I’m no cyber expert, nor am I a blogger (this is my first one ever!).

I work in recruitment and while I’ve seen a lot in the tech space, I know there are professionals out there and recruiters, who live and breathe cybersecurity every day.

This post isn’t meant to be a deep technical dive. It’s simply a reflection on what I saw in the data and how strongly it resonated with others.

If I’m off on any points, I welcome feedback. I’m here to learn, support and open up the floor to people who know more than me.

Thanks for reading and I hope you found this thought-provoking.

Mary 🩵