AI is changing cyber security faster than we can teach it
One of the biggest challenges facing cybersecurity education today isn’t a lack of talent. It’s the pace of change.
I’ve worked in cyber security long enough to know that education has always had to adapt to new technologies, new threats and new ways of working. But the rise of AI has accelerated that challenge significantly.
Today, the cyber security tooling landscape is changing faster than education can realistically keep up with. New AI-powered development tools appear constantly. Security testing techniques evolve rapidly. Attackers are experimenting with the same technologies defenders are trying to harness.
This isn’t a criticism of universities. It’s simply the reality of operating in a field that never stands still.
That’s why I believe closer collaboration between industry and education has become essential.
Cyber security fundamentals still matter
When people talk about AI, it’s easy to focus entirely on what’s new. But some of the most important lessons in cyber security haven’t changed for decades.
Fraud existed long before computers. Social engineering existed long before the internet. Poor security decisions have always created opportunities for attackers.
Educational institutions play a critical role in teaching these fundamentals, and that shouldn’t change.
What industry can contribute is context.
Practitioners working with organisations every day can help students understand how those principles apply to modern technologies, emerging attack methods and real-world business challenges.
That’s one of the reasons we actively support cyber security education at Resillion. We see it as an opportunity to help bridge the gap between theory and practice while ensuring we stay connected to the latest developments shaping the industry.
Secure coding lessons that still apply
One area where I regularly see this challenge is secure software development.
Today, developers can build working applications faster than ever before. AI-assisted coding tools have dramatically lowered barriers to development and accelerated delivery timelines.
The risk is that software can evolve faster than its security assumptions.
An application that is safe enough for a prototype can quickly become dangerous in production if the threat model, security controls or attack surface are not revisited as the system grows.
When we deliver secure development training, this is one of the most important lessons we try to reinforce.
At Resillion, we use practical, hands-on training environments to help developers understand how vulnerabilities emerge and how they can be exploited. This includes working with intentionally vulnerable applications such as the OWASP Juice Shop.
We’ve also collaborated with student teams to extend these environments with new challenges and scenarios. In one project, students helped develop additional Juice Shop exercises. In another, they created a vulnerable-by-design IoT device that could be used in cybersecurity training.
The goal isn’t simply to teach security concepts. It’s to create realistic learning experiences that help developers recognise risks before they become real-world problems.
Why AI makes collaboration more important
AI has made the relationship between education and industry even more important.
Universities cannot rewrite courses every time a new AI tool appears. At the same time, organisations cannot expect graduates to arrive with experience of every emerging technology.
That’s where collaboration matters.
Recent developments such as Anthropic’s Mythos model demonstrate how quickly the boundaries between AI and cybersecurity are blurring. Five years ago, most cybersecurity courses weren’t discussing AI-powered vulnerability discovery. Today, it’s becoming part of the conversation. That’s exactly why stronger collaboration between education and industry matters. Neither side can keep pace alone.
When practitioners contribute to education, students gain exposure to current challenges and technologies. Equally important, those practitioners are forced to challenge their own assumptions, stay current and explain complex concepts clearly.
In my experience, teaching often improves the teacher as much as the student.
Investing in future cyber security talent
Building a stronger cyber security profession requires more than delivering lectures or running training courses.
Students need opportunities to engage with practitioners, ask questions and understand how cybersecurity works in practice.
That’s why we’re involved in initiatives such as INTERSCT and other activities that connect students with professionals working across the industry today.
These programmes help students develop practical understanding alongside academic knowledge, while giving organisations like ours an opportunity to engage with the next generation of cybersecurity talent.
A shared responsibility
The cyber security skills challenge is often framed as a recruitment problem.
I see it differently.
As organisations become increasingly dependent on technology, developing cybersecurity capability becomes a shared responsibility between educators, employers and practitioners.
Universities provide the foundations. Industry provides practical experience. Together, they create professionals who are better prepared for the realities of modern cybersecurity.
At Resillion, that’s why we continue to invest time in education partnerships, secure development training and student engagement initiatives.
Not because it’s separate from what we do, but because it’s increasingly becoming part of how we help organisations prepare for what’s next.
Because the best cyber security teams don’t just learn.
They teach.
