CISSP Cyber Training Podcast - CISSP Training Program · Shon Gerber, vCISO, CISSP, Cybersecurity Consultant and Entrepreneur

CCT 332: A Winning CISO/CSO and AI Changing Cyber Forever (Career Planning)

·34 min·2 clips

There are 3.5 million security jobs unfilled in 2025, even as AI-powered cyber attacks are up 300% since 2022.

AI sits at the center, but the episode is really about what to do next. Sean opens in familiar CISSP training mode, then turns the lesson toward career planning and the way AI is changing cybersecurity work. The audience is clear: people studying for the CISSP, people trying to move up, and people worried that the career they built could get shoved aside. Senior ambition gets a real look. Sean speaks to listeners who may be aiming for chief information security officer or chief security officer roles inside an organization, then pulls the advice back to practical moves. His answer is not to panic or wait around. Learn AI on your own. Understand where it is already pressing on first-three-year and midcareer security paths. Then pair it with the experience you already have. The role rundown is useful because it stays concrete. SOC analyst work is still on the table, including tier one and tier two, though AI and machine learning are changing that lane fast. Cloud security gets a strong mention, especially cloud security associate roles, with Sean pointing to a range from 70 to 105,000 and cloud-native security work where AI threat detection is already built in. He also makes room for people without deep technical grounding. IT auditor or GRC analyst work comes across as a practical way into the field. Threat intelligence is another route, tied to learning how to search for different kinds of threats. Pen testing sounds tougher. Junior penetration tester roles are described as harder to find, and Sean says breaking in may take more creativity. Security awareness training can be a starting point too, especially for someone with little or no security background. The midcareer section is the one with the most bite. For listeners in their 30s and 40s with five to 20 years behind them, the fear is obvious: AI could wipe out what took years to build. Sean's answer is calmer than that. Use AI deliberately, attach it to your existing judgment, and let it widen the career path instead of treating it like the end of the road. He closes with five action steps, then returns to the usual YouTube, review, and CISSP questions reminders.

As heard by us

Career guidance for CISSP-minded security professionals adapting to AI.

Sean Gerber treats AI as a genuine turning point for cybersecurity, not a side issue, and keeps the episode pointed at listeners preparing for the CISSP and broader leadership work.

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Why you'd press play

Use AI pressure to sharpen your next cybersecurity move before the field shifts again.

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