Cybersecurity Experts Are in Demand as Companies Integrate AI

Airlines. School boards. Hospitals. Libraries. Telecoms. Utility providers. No type of organization is safe from a cybercriminal’s hit list, and companies can’t seem to arm up fast enough to ward off the attacks. 

According to data released in 2025 by the World Economic Forum, or WEF, organizations across all seven continents rank ransomware as one of their biggest concerns year after year. But the cyberskills gap is only widening: just 14 per cent of respondents said they are confident they have the people and skills required to handle the threat. And as more firms integrate generative AI into their workflows, the greater the cybersecurity risks they take on. Sixty-six per cent of organizations surveyed by the WEF expect AI to significantly impact them in the near future, yet only 37 per cent report having processes in place to protect themselves. 

College cybersecurity programs to consider

Anyone interested in answering the five-alarm call for more cybersecurity professionals might look first to the British Columbia Institute of Technology, which has multiple paths into the field. Most commonly, BCIT undergrads start with a computing background, either by getting the computer information technology diploma, which primes students on the workings of information networks, or the computer systems technology diploma, which focuses more on programming—a path for those who may one day want to create cybersecurity software. After either of those two-year diplomas, students can move into BCIT’s bachelor of technology in digital forensics and cybersecurity degree program. 

BCIT also offers an industrial network cybersecurity diploma; students who pursue this route will find themselves in the midst of a mock cyberwar, where they split into lab groups that simulate factories trying to attack each other. Graduates of this diploma might head straight into jobs that protect critical infrastructure, like hydro grids, water systems and nuclear systems. 

Students in Ontario also have plenty of options, including four-year bachelor degree programs at Sheridan College (at the Brampton and Oakville campuses) and Seneca (at the Newnham campus, near Toronto.) Seneca’s bachelor of information technology—cybersecurity program includes courses on network security, malware analysis and cryptography, as well as critical thinking, presentation skills and writing skills. The program also features a mandatory co-op placement, completed over two terms. 

Students who already have a university degree, college diploma or equivalent in information technology might consider adding some specialized cybersecurity skills to their repertoire with Seneca’s eight-month cybersecurity and threat management certificate. Designed in collaboration with financial services organizations, this eight-month program, which includes both online and in-person elements, provides students with skills in ethical hacking (or vulnerability testing), project management and IT security forensics. Students complete a major IT security project in their final semester and can also gain hands-on experience with an optional work placement term. 

Opportunities for cybersecurity grads

Grads with information technology and cybersecurity credentials usually find themselves as web or app developers, network administrators, software engineers and cybersecurity analysts. Those with a background in digital forensics might want to work for private or public security firms as ethical hackers or specialized investigators. Leading consulting firms and major financial institutions are currently hiring cybersecurity specialists, consultants and engineers. Salaries start between $65,000 to $90,000, with that number climbing to over $180,000 after a few years.