Business judgement, AI proficiency key as cyber defender roles evolve; new professional standards being developed

Cybersecurity professionals must evolve beyond merely addressing technical flaws to account for organizational risks and weigh business trade-offs when making decisions. According to a study commissioned by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), artificial intelligence (AI) is the top-rated skill for cybersecurity professionals across all levels over the next three years.

Conducted via a survey of 1,000 organizations, the study also revealed that AI proficiency is crucial in detecting and responding to AI-enabled cyber threats. Despite AI reducing operational workload, humans remain essential in determining the credibility and authenticity of alerts and threats. The study aligns with a previous survey by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, which found that AI mainly transforms tasks rather than replacing roles.

Within the next 12 months, cybersecurity professionals will likely face AI-enabled threats such as phishing, deepfakes, and malware development. To tackle these threats, cybersecurity professionals will require new skills, including the ability to detect when AI makes mistakes or gets manipulated, and how to rectify the issues safely.

CSA plans to establish a Cyber Security Professional Accreditation Framework, which will set common professional standards for roles and proficiency levels. The framework will be implemented through a voluntary two-year accreditation pilot starting in the second quarter of 2027. This framework aims to formalize and recognize competencies in the AI age, addressing the confusion caused by the vast range of existing cybersecurity certifications.

The survey, carried out by Blackbox Research between August and September 2026, involved 1,000 respondents from various sectors utilizing AI tools in their work. The findings indicate that demand for mid-level and senior cybersecurity professionals will grow over the next three years, while junior roles will be redesigned with more complex work supported by AI.

Consequently, roles like security operations analysts, vulnerability assessment, and penetration testing will substantially evolve, necessitating technical expertise to identify missing evidence and evaluate AI recommendations.