The Cybersecurity Leaders of 2031 Are Applying for Entry-Level Roles Right Now: Per Scholas President Caitlyn Brazill Shares Insights on the Cyber Talent Gap

In a featured commentary, Per Scholas President Caitlyn Brazill addresses a growing paradox in technology hiring: while 71% of organizations report that cybersecurity skills shortages are creating severe risk, only 13% of hiring managers are actively recruiting entry-level talent.

Drawing from Fortinet’s 2026 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, Brazill points out that CIOs and IT decision-makers are responding to cyber threats by competing almost exclusively for senior talent. The result isn’t a sustainable talent strategy, it’s a costly bidding war that leaves long-term enterprise security vulnerable.

AI Acceleration Requires Human Judgment

A common explanation for declining entry-level hiring is the rise of artificial intelligence. Many leaders assume AI can automate entry-level security tasks, eliminating the need for junior staff. However, Brazill highlights that AI is actually making the threat environment faster and more complex, not easier.

With AI-driven attacks cutting the average breach window to just 29 minutes and 82% of detections now malware-free, defending an enterprise relies heavily on real-time human judgment.

“Malware-free means there’s no signature to match, no file to quarantine,” writes Caitlyn Brazill, President of Per Scholas. “Someone has to look at valid credentials doing superficially plausible things and determine, inside a 29-minute window, if it’s an intruder. That’s a judgment call, and that judgment is built by seeing enough ‘normal’ to recognize ‘wrong.’ Removing entry-level pathways doesn’t make junior analysts redundant, it means there’s no longer a way to produce the judgment you need.”

Redefining Entry-Level Requirements: AI Fluency & On-Ramps

Instead of relying on multi-year experience requirements for rapidly changing industries, enterprise leaders must evaluate candidates based on modern AI fluency, stackable credentials (such as CompTIA’s security track and vendor-specific certifications), and a continuous learning mindset.

Brazill emphasizes that creating a sustainable talent pipeline requires cross-sector collaboration rather than individual corporate effort. She points to Per Scholas’ custom cybersecurity pipeline developed alongside public benefit corporation PeopleShores and Accenture as a proven model. Through this framework:

• Per Scholas provides rigorous, industry-aligned foundational training.
• PeopleShores hires graduates as paid apprentices.
• Accenture offers curriculum input, production infrastructure, coaching, and long-term career pathways.

To read Caitlyn Brazill’s full article and explore how Per Scholas collaborates with enterprise partners to build custom cybersecurity talent pipelines, click here to read the full feature.