Indian organizations are increasingly prioritizing cybersecurity, with a significant majority planning to hire dedicated professionals in the next year. According to a recent report by Rubrik Zero Labs, approximately 90% of Indian organizations intend to expand their cybersecurity teams to manage and enhance digital identity management, infrastructure, and overall security.
The report, titled "Identity Crisis: Understanding & Building Resilience Against Identity-Driven Threats," highlights the growing importance of addressing identity threats in the current landscape. The rise of AI agents in the workplace is contributing to an increase in both non-human and agentic identities, which is driving CIOs and CISOs to focus on identity-related security concerns and recovery strategies.
Ashish Gupta, Managing Director, India & Head of Engineering at Rubrik, emphasized the evolving nature of cyberattacks, noting that attackers are now targeting both human and non-human identities as the fastest route to critical systems and data. This shift is fundamentally changing the approach to cyber defense in India.
The Rubrik Zero Labs report is based on a survey conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,625 IT security decision-makers at companies with 500 or more employees. The survey included an equal representation of directors/VPs and CIOs/CISOs. The research encompassed organizations in the US, EMEA (the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands), and APAC (Japan, Australia, Singapore, India) and was conducted between September 18-29, 2025.
This surge in hiring plans reflects a broader trend in India, where the demand for cybersecurity experts is rapidly increasing. A 2024 Global Cybersecurity Workforce Study indicated that the demand for cybersecurity professionals has been growing by over 30% annually. This demand is driven by the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and the growing need for organizations to protect their data and infrastructure.
The need for cybersecurity professionals is evident with the increasing number of cybercrimes. It was reported that India witnessed at least one cybercrime every 10 minutes during the first half of 2017. In 2024, India detected 369 million malware attacks on 8.44 million devices, further emphasizing the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures.
The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals in India spans various roles, including Security Engineers, CISOs, Security Analysts, Network Security Engineers, Security Testers, and Cybersecurity Analysts. To address the cybersecurity talent shortage in India, some organizations are providing specialized training and certifications in areas such as Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, Bug Bounty Hunting and Network Infrastructure.
The rise in demand has also led to competitive salaries for cybersecurity professionals. Engineers with cybersecurity skills and over three years of experience can earn significantly more than other tech professionals with similar experience. This makes cybersecurity an attractive career path for those with the necessary skills and training.
