New research from Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst reveals how artificial intelligence is changing the work traditionally done by early-career cybersecurity professionals in Canada.
Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, which operates out of Toronto Metropolitan University, examines the trend in its latest report, “Preserving Foundational Skills in AI-Enabled Early-Career Cybersecurity Work.”
The Catalyst, funded by the Future Skills Centre through the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program, powers the country’s cybersecurity talent pipeline through experiential learning, immersive simulations, founder support, original research, and a community of collaboration and innovation.
The report tackles the concept of the “entry-level paradox.” This paradox observes that Level 1 cybersecurity work—such as alert triage, query writing, and incident investigation—is increasingly automated or AI-assisted.
As a result, early-career professionals are taking on more complex investigations earlier in their careers.
“AI is making many cybersecurity tasks faster and more efficient,” acknowledges Catalyst executive director Charles Findlay, “but it also raises a practical question about how people get their start in the field.”
Employers express concern over “loss of practice” as AI reduces opportunities to independently perform the tasks that build technical knowledge and professional judgment.
“If some of the routine work that used to give people hands-on experience is now being done with AI, we need to think about where that experience comes from,” Findlay explains.
“People still need opportunities to work through problems, make decisions, and understand the systems they’re working with,” he says. “That’s an important part of developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”
As technical skills increasingly become automated or assisted, the value of soft skills rise.
In 2026, 93% of employers identified human-centred capabilities (such as communication skills and critical thinking) as increasingly important.
Employers are also concerned about AI-assisted applications, which has hiring forces struggling to properly assess the workplace readiness of potential talent.
Overall, Catalyst’s research points to a growing urge for employers and educators to “rethink what ‘job-ready’ means, how job readiness is assessed, and how early-career professionals can build and demonstrate the capabilities needed to succeed as AI changes traditional pathways into cybersecurity.”
AI is not eliminating early-career cybersecurity roles, the report concludes, but rather “reshaping the work, pathways, and opportunities through which the next generation of cybersecurity professionals develops experience.”
The Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst launched in 2018.
