the cybersecurity market in 2025: what skills will matter?
Hey bugs! I saw tons of these guides lately and with the exception of a few good ones, its all pretty generic. So let’s get real and talk exactly what skills you should start looking at and learning about if you don’t already have them in your arsenal.
The Starting Grid🏁
In our hashtalk today:
- Understanding and addressing severe vulnerabilities in Machine Learning Models and Systems
- Prompt Engineering — how to write prompts and why does it make a difference
- Active Directory — Attacking and Defending
- Mastering Blockchain and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities
- Automotive Pentesting
Understanding Vulnerabilities in Machine Learning Models and Systems
As machine learning models become integral to decision-making in sectors like finance, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles, their vulnerabilities are becoming prime targets for attackers. For pentesters to be able to assess and defend systems that utilize LLMs, its important to understand the vulnerabilities that are more common and can appear within these systems. Because of these reason, OWASP also released their OWASP Machine Learning Security Top Ten . This can serve you as a great start on what to explore and get curious about.
In 2025, as AI grows more pervasive, cybersecurity professionals with expertise in defending ML systems will be in high demand to maintain trust in these technologies.
Learn how to write good prompt in your favorite GenAI tool
I’ve already written a whole article on Prompt Engineering that dives a bit deeper into this topic — i’ll link it right here.
Besides the fact that Prompt Engineer is now a full blown job role, it can absolutely speed up your efficiency and productivity in your current job.
Professionals who understand how to craft effective prompts will be essential for enhancing the accuracy, relevance, and ethical use of AI in various industries. There are quite a few good courses on how to write good prompts, so I hope this is a slight nudge in the right direction.
Active Directory — Attacking and Defending
The stats are that around 90% of Fortune 1000 companies use Active Directory in their organization. That’s quite a number. So, understanding AD vulnerabilities, attack vectors and how to detect and mitigate them is a crucial and expected skill, and something that will most often be listed in any job posting in 2025.
Mastering Blockchain and Smart Contract Vulnerabilities
As blockchain-based applications expand, particularly in finance (e.g., DeFi) and supply chain management, the exploitation of vulnerabilities in smart contracts will become a significant threat. By 2025, blockchain systems will be a primary target for attackers looking to exploit code flaws or weaknesses in decentralized protocols. Cybersecurity professionals skilled in identifying and mitigating these vulnerabilities will be essential to ensure the secure deployment of blockchain applications and the protection of digital assets.
Automotive Pentesting
With the growth of connected cars and autonomous vehicle systems, cybersecurity in the automotive sector is becoming more critical. By 2025, hackers will likely target vulnerabilities in vehicle software, infotainment systems, and vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Automotive pentesters who can identify and address these vulnerabilities will be crucial to ensuring the safety and security of modern transportation, as well as preventing potentially devastating attacks on public safety. It’s also quite the cool job to have.
Hope this guide helped you in understanding what is hot and heavy currently on the market. And if not pivoting to a new role, maybe learning some of these or getting your hands on some courses under these topics would be a fun way to get out of your everyday routine.
Let’s keep in touch
I’d always be willing to discuss more, exchange ideas and continue the hash talk. If you liked this, follow and subscribe to see more of it!
- Reach me at: evaincybersec@gmail.com
