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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Hardware and Software Information Security Specialist

A Hardware and Software Information Security Specialist detects threats, protects people, facilities or information and is accountable for an appropriate incident response. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

32%2026
35%2028
39%2030
45%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
vulnerability assessment50%
access and environment control45%
signal monitoring41%
alarm verification36%
incident response30%
evidence preservation20%
coordination with services9%
reporting and prevention planning3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1vulnerability assessmentAI 50% · human 58%
  2. 2access and environment controlAI 45% · human 60%
  3. 3signal monitoringAI 41% · human 69%
  4. 4alarm verificationAI 36% · human 63%
  5. 5incident responseAI 30% · human 70%
  6. 6evidence preservationAI 20% · human 72%
  7. 7coordination with servicesAI 9% · human 77%
  8. 8reporting and prevention planningAI 3% · human 79%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • response to non-standard threats
  • security accountability
  • work in unpredictable environments

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$8 300per month
2035$12 000scenario estimate
2026: $8 30020262027: $8 65020272028: $9 00020282029: $9 40020292030: $9 80020302031: $10 20020312032: $10 60020322033: $11 05020332034: $11 50020342035: $12 0002035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Digital Evidence Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk19%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

AI Security Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Deepfake Forensics Analyst

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Prompt Injection Analyst

Emerging role
New role risk18%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit83%

Autonomous Systems Security Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Cyber Resilience Planner

Emerging role
New role risk17%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Autonomous Systems Security Specialist

Skill fit 81% · risk 13%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • threat assessment
  • security systems
  • incident response
  • legal constraints
  • first aid
  • documentation

Skills to build

  • video analytics
  • cyber-physical security
  • drone management
  • biometric verification
  • incident analytics
  • anti-spoofing
CurrentHardware and Software Information Security Specialist · 32%
→
Keepthreat assessment · security systems · incident response
→
Addvideo analytics · cyber-physical security · drone management

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.