As we enter Q3 2026, cybersecurity leaders have a unique opportunity.
The first half of the year is behind us.
Hiring plans have either delivered results… or exposed weaknesses.
The question is no longer:
“What are we planning to do?”
It’s:
“What have we actually achieved?”
For many organisations, the answer is mixed.
Security investments have continued.
Technology has advanced.
Threats have evolved.
Yet one challenge remains remarkably consistent:
Finding, hiring and retaining the right cybersecurity talent.
The Cybersecurity Landscape Has Changed
Attackers continue to innovate.
Artificial Intelligence is making phishing campaigns more convincing.
Ransomware groups are becoming more organised.
Supply chain attacks remain a significant concern.
Regulatory expectations continue to grow.
Against this backdrop, cybersecurity teams are expected to do more with the same—or sometimes fewer—resources.
That makes every hiring decision even more important.
Three Questions Every Security Leader Should Ask at the Start of Q3
1️⃣ Do we have the right expertise?
Not simply more people.
The right people.
A Security Architect solves different problems from a Security Engineer.
A GRC specialist brings different value than a Threat Hunter.
Hiring generic cybersecurity professionals to solve specialist challenges rarely produces specialist outcomes.
Winning organisations begin with the business problem and recruit the expertise that best addresses it.
2️⃣ Is our hiring process helping or hurting us?
Cybersecurity professionals remain in high demand.
The strongest candidates often receive multiple approaches before a vacancy is even advertised.
Long interview cycles.
Unclear decision making.
Poor communication.
These aren’t just recruitment issues.
They’re competitive disadvantages.
The organisations attracting the best cybersecurity professionals are making decisions efficiently while maintaining high standards.
Speed and quality are not opposites.
When the process is well designed, they reinforce each other.
3️⃣ Are we measuring hiring success correctly?
Many organisations celebrate when an offer is accepted.
That isn’t the finish line.
It’s the starting point.
The real measure of success is whether that professional is still making a positive impact twelve months later.
Retention protects knowledge.
Retention strengthens resilience.
Retention reduces recruitment costs.
Most importantly, retention creates continuity within security teams.
Looking Ahead
The organisations that finish 2026 strongest won’t necessarily be those with the largest cybersecurity budgets.
They’ll be those that:
✔ Recruit expertise aligned to genuine business risk.
✔ Build efficient hiring processes that secure top talent before competitors do.
✔ Create environments where cybersecurity professionals choose to stay and grow.
Technology will continue to evolve.
Threats will continue to evolve.
Successful cybersecurity teams will evolve too.
Because cybersecurity has never been just about technology.
It’s about having the right people, in the right roles, at the right time.
As Q3 begins, here’s a question worth asking:
If your organisation experienced a major cyber incident tomorrow, would you be confident that you have the right cybersecurity expertise already in place?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
