CISOs must be “aggressive” and “innovative” in how they retain talent against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile jobs market, a new report from IANS and Artico Search has revealed.<\/p>\n
The duo’s 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report <\/em>is based on interviews with over 500 US cybersecurity professionals.<\/p>\n It found that just 34% of respondents are planning to stay in their current role in the coming year, with 43% considering a job change – rising to 46% of senior professionals.<\/p>\n “Career progression, satisfaction with compensation and a healthy work-life balance all correlated moderately to strongly with job satisfaction,” the report noted. “Compensation progression also correlates with job satisfaction, but as a weaker driver.”<\/p>\n Regardless of pay level, even small pay increases are likely to result in higher satisfaction and a greater chance of individuals staying put compared with flat compensation, IANS said.<\/p>\n Read more on hiring and retention: CISO Pay Increases 7% As Budget Growth Slows<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n There were other clear signals from the report<\/a> that could help CISOs improve talent retention. IANS claimed that hybrid work involving one or two days on-site per week delivers the strongest work-life balance outcomes.<\/p>\n It added that 73% of security professionals who see security as a core priority for the organization report job satisfaction, versus just a fifth (19%) who see little or no senior backing for the function.<\/p>\n “Security leaders are navigating a complex talent environment where expectations are rising, but resources are not,” said Steve Martano, IANS faculty member and partner at Artico Search.<\/p>\n “We still see junior-level cyber professionals commanding high levels of compensation, but it is clear that top-quartile talent is seeking more than just a hearty paycheck. Visibility, career growth, and support from security leadership are necessary to keep high performers”<\/p>\n A separate IANS report from last year shows why retention is so important in today’s job market.<\/p>\nWhy Retention Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n