AI Could Erode Cybersecurity Skills Without Hands-On Experience

Summary

Kudelski Security’s Nathan Hamiel warns that overreliance on AI could weaken cybersecurity expertise and limit junior professionals’ learning. He recommends using AI where it helps while retaining the skills needed to assess its results.

Key points

• Nathan Hamiel says automation can distance practitioners from underlying security problems and make it harder to recognize incorrect results or know when further investigation is needed.
• He warns that automating junior-level tasks may remove opportunities for new professionals to build the hands-on experience needed for complex investigations.
• Hamiel says AI can support threat hunting and threat intelligence by helping with preliminary analysis, and sees potential in AI-powered penetration testing beyond traditional vulnerability scanning.
• He argues that some incidents attributed to autonomous AI activity exposed existing failures in basic security hygiene rather than entirely new security problems.
• Hamiel’s advice is to apply AI where it offers meaningful benefits while maintaining the expertise needed to use its outputs effectively.

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