Bengaluru: A string of high-profile cyber attacks has prompted companies to step up hiring across cloud security, artificial intelligence (AI) security and threat intelligence as they seek to bolster their defences against evolving threats.

Businesses are prioritising specialised talent while increasingly relying on automation and AI to handle routine security operations, said industry executives.

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Companies actively hiring cybersecurity talent include Accenture, EY, TCS, PwC India, IDFC FIRST Bank, Deloitte, NTT DATA, JPMorganChase, Walmart Global Tech India and Wipro, according to data compiled for ET by specialist staffing firm Xpheno.

Cybersecurity hiring has increased 15-20% on average over the past year, said Neelabh Shukla, chief business officer at talent solutions provider Careernet.

"AI is accelerating the cyber threat landscape. Attacks that once took days, weeks, or months can now be executed in a fraction of the time using frontier AI models. As a result, the focus of enterprises on cyber is increasing, but the availability of skilled talent is not keeping pace with demand," said Aloke Kumar Dani, partner, Deloitte India.

Deloitte has around 3,000 cyber professionals serving the India market and another 8,000 supporting global clients, yet demand continues to outpace supply, said Dani. To bridge this gap, the firm has expanded talent sourcing beyond metros, among other initiatives.

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Hiring focus, however, is shifting from quantity to quality.

"Cybersecurity today is a business resilience imperative," said Santha Subramoni, cybersecurity lead, Advanced Technology Centers Global Network, Accenture.

As organisations accelerate cloud, data and AI-led transformation, they are increasingly looking for professionals who can combine cybersecurity expertise with AI, cloud and business acumen. Accenture's global research shows that demand for AI-related cybersecurity skills has grown 2.5 times since 2020, reflecting the convergence of cybersecurity, AI and business transformation.

"Organisations must focus on hiring, upskilling and reskilling talent while leveraging AI and automation to strengthen cybersecurity operations," added Subramoni.

Umashankar Lakshmipathy, co-head of cloud, infrastructure and security services (CIS), cybersecurity and COBALT at Infosys, said, "Our focus is on building a future-ready cybersecurity workforce that combines deep cyber expertise with skills in AI and automation."

Infosys is hiring lateral talent with proven skills in AI, automation, analytics and platform engineering. At the same time, it is focused on reskilling and enabling existing talent and preparing new campus recruits through structured training programmes.

Recruitment firm Michael Page has seen an 18% YoY increase in cybersecurity mandates, driven by the rising frequency and sophistication of AI-enabled attacks.

“Salaries have gone up. Cybersecurity professionals can command salaries starting at Rs 25-30 lakh, going up to Rs 1.2-1.3 crore or more,” said Pranshu Upadhyay, regional director, Michael Page India. “Candidates with niche skills in areas such as cloud security, cyber architecture and AI security can command 25-35% hikes.”

“We expect cybersecurity hiring to remain strong. Because demand is high, candidates are often sitting on multiple offers, and the payout ratio is higher for these skill sets,” he added.

Experts say demand is increasingly shifting towards professionals who can work alongside AI to strengthen cyber resilience.

“The trajectory is for talent demand in cybersecurity to become hyper-niche with specialists orchestrating AI for output,” said Kamal Karanth, co-founder, Xpheno.