O’Reilly, the technology and business learning platform, today released its 2024 State of Security Survey report, uncovering a stark disconnect between rapidly evolving threats and the readiness of security teams to combat them.

The study identifies emerging threats, and assesses how organisations are adapting their security strategies and workforce development to meet these challenges.

Among the notable findings is a critical AI security skills gap: 33.9% of tech professionals report a shortage of AI security skills, particularly around emerging vulnerabilities like prompt injection.

Cloud security expertise also emerges as a significant concern. Despite cloud computing’s two-decade presence, 38.9% of respondents identified cloud security as the most significant skills shortage, revealing a lag in expertise as organisations continue their cloud migration journeys.

Looking ahead, AI-enabled security tools rank as the top priority for the coming year (34.4%), with security automation following closely behind (28.2%), signaling a strong push toward automation in cybersecurity defenses.

The survey also found that better security awareness training for all employees (40.1%) was identified as the most crucial step in improving an organisation’s security posture, outranking additional staffing and better security tools.

Recommended reading

• Ransomware Groups are Adjusting Their Strategies
• Comment | The Rise in QR Code Attacks
• NCSC Warns Ransomware Threat to Rise with AI

“Our global survey underscores a security landscape in flux, with critical skills gaps emerging in AI and cloud security,” said Laura Baldwin, president of O’Reilly.

“As cyber-threats become increasingly sophisticated, it’s clear that continuous, high-quality training is no longer optional; it’s essential for safeguarding our digital future. Organisations must prioritise ongoing upskilling to stay ahead of evolving risks and build robust defenses.

“While certifications like CISSP remain crucial, we’re seeing critical skills gaps in cloud and AI security. To truly safeguard our digital future, we need high-quality, continuous learning that goes beyond exam preparation and empowers every employee to be a frontline defender against evolving threats.”