Identity checkmate: India’s cyber hires surge as AI spawns new “non‑human” targets

Updated: November 17, 2025 05:47

Image Source: Economic Times

Nearly 90% of Indian organizations plan to hire specialized cybersecurity talent within 12 months, driven by a spike in AI‑linked identity threats. The rise of agentic and non‑human identities is shifting CIO/CISO focus to identity defenses and fast recovery, even as many doubt their ability to swiftly restore operations post‑incident.

Hiring momentum amid AI‑driven identity risk

Indian businesses are prioritizing identity security as AI agents proliferate across workflows, creating new non‑human identities that expand attack surfaces. A recent report indicates close to 90% of organizations intend to hire specialists for digital identity management, infrastructure hardening, and recovery preparedness, marking a decisive talent push in 2026.

Key highlights and takeaways

Hiring intent: Nearly 90% of firms plan to hire specialized cybersecurity professionals to bolster identity, infrastructure, and resilience in the next 12 months.

AI’s identity surge: Rapid adoption of AI is creating more agentic and non‑human identities (NHIs), intensifying the priority on identity‑based vulnerabilities and recovery planning.

Leadership focus: CIOs and CISOs are elevating identity threats and incident recovery in their security agendas, reflecting a shift from perimeter defenses to identity‑centric controls.

Recovery confidence gap: Only a minority feel confident about restoring operations rapidly after identity‑driven incidents, underscoring urgency in backup integrity, privileged access hygiene, and automation.

Survey scope: Findings are based on research among 1,625 IT security decision‑makers at firms with 500+ employees, spanning directors/VPs and CIOs/CISOs, giving broad enterprise coverage.

What this means for Indian enterprises

The hiring surge signals a pivot to identity‑first security: consolidating directories, hardening IAM and CIEM controls, and taming NHIs with lifecycle governance. Expect investment in automated detection and response, secure recovery, and least‑privilege programs, alongside playbooks that emphasize credential hygiene, segmentation, and resilient backups to cut dwell time and blast radius.

What to watch next

Talent strategies: Build–buy–partner models for IAM, PAM, CIEM, and identity‑driven detection/response.

Operational readiness: Measurable recovery SLAs, tabletop exercises, and secure‑by‑design identity architectures.

AI governance: Policies to track, validate, and retire NHIs, plus auditable guardrails for agentic workflows.

Metrics that matter: Time‑to‑contain identity incidents, privileged access drift, and recovery integrity scores.

Sources: Times of India; Rediff Money; Economic Times

Stay Ahead – Explore Now! IIA 310th Meet Charts MSME Renaissance: AI, Reform, and the Business of Possibility

STORIES YOU MAY LIKE

Image Source: Autocar India

Fuel Shift in the Fast Lane: Tata Motors Eyes CNG and Hybrid Power for Bigger Rides

Image Source: WowNews24x7

FOMO To FMA -Mixed Global Cues, Strong Domestic Earnings: India Markets Navigate Volatile Session

Image Source: Instagram

Punching Above Their Weight: India’s Quartet Storms Into Semis on Day 1 of World Boxing Cup Finals

Image Source: Deccan Herald

Truth vs Tech: VP Radhakrishnan Calls on Media to Stay Human in the Age of AI

Image Source: The Indian Express

Checkmated in Goa: Harikrishna Falls to Mexico’s Martinez as Arjun Stands Alone

Image Source: YouTube

Bullet Time: PM Modi Reviews Surat Station on India’s First High-Speed Rail Corridor

Image Source: WION

Proteas break the Eden spell: South Africa stun India with first Test win in 15 years

Top Searches

Suggestions

Identity checkmate: India’s cyber hires surge as AI spawns new “non‑human” targets

STORIES YOU MAY LIKE

Live Blogs

Top Stories

Identity checkmate: India’s cyber hires surge as AI spawns new “non‑human” targets

STORIES YOU MAY LIKE

Subscribe to receive the day's headlines from WOWNEWS 24X7 straight in your inbox

Live Blogs

Top Stories