Cybersecurity industry set for 12% annual growth as retailers face up to rising threats

Cybersecurity roles are set to grow by up to 12% annually in the UK, according to new data from Robert Walters’ Market Intelligence team, as employers respond to increasingly complex and frequent cyber threats. The sector currently maintains around 17,000 live vacancies, with demand rising steadily across finance, Government, healthcare, tech and retail.

The report identifies the top skillsets in demand, including cloud security engineers, SOC analysts, penetration testers, ethical hackers, and AI-focused threat intelligence specialists. These roles are becoming critical as organisations attempt to keep pace with sophisticated cyberattacks, including recent incidents targeting leading high-street retailers.

Phill Brown, global head of market intelligence at Robert Walters, said: “Retailers have heavily invested in recent years to hire professionals who can assess their system security and identify vulnerabilities. Penetration testing and ethical hacking are among the most sought-after skills today.”

He added: “The recent cyberattack, on some of our most well-known high street retailers, carries with it short-term disruption, but also the very real risk of long-term damage to trusted brand image and reputation. The scale and impact of these attacks is often extensive and takes considerable time and cost to rectify. This underscores the urgent need for businesses to prioritise cybersecurity hiring.”

The top five sectors by share of cybersecurity job openings are finance and banking (20%), public sector and defence (18%), technology and digital services (16%), healthcare and life sciences (12%), and retail and e-commerce (10%). Retail’s share is expected to increase further as companies strengthen their prevention capabilities following recent attacks.

Brown warned that investing in cybersecurity must be ongoing: “Companies will not only need to hire or contract cybersecurity experts to address the current issue, but they will also require additional specialists to rebuild their IT systems and advise on stronger security measures. This process will be both costly and time-consuming.”

He concluded: “This latest situation serves as a cautionary tale for all businesses. By hiring the right professionals and consistently investing in their upskilling from the beginning, companies can better protect themselves against ever-evolving cyber threats.”