New IANS and Artico Search Report Finds Only 34% of Cybersecurity Professionals Plan to Stay in Their Current Roles

2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report reveals rising turnover pressure, compensation disparities, and the growing importance of career progression, culture and flexibility

BOSTON, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IANS and Artico Search today announced the release of the 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report, delivering new benchmark insights on compensation, roles and retention based on a survey of more than 500 security professionals. The report finds that only 34% of cybersecurity professionals plan to stay with their current employer, highlighting declining job satisfaction across the field and challenging CISOs to be aggressive and innovative in how they retain talent in a challenging labor market.

As organizations rely on their security teams to address an increasing volume and speed of security threats, the findings point to a shift in how cybersecurity leaders must think about talent. Compensation remains important, but it is not the primary driver of retention.

"Security leaders are being asked to do much more with the same or fewer resources than they had previously, and that fundamentally changes how they need to think about talent," said Nick Kakolowski, Senior Research Director at IANS. "As pressure on cyber teams skyrockets, CISOs who double down on mentorship, coaching and career development can create a sense of purpose and progression that helps their employees avoid burnout."

Key Findings from the Report:

• Wage growth plays a bigger role in retention than absolute pay levels: Employees receiving even modest pay increases report significantly higher satisfaction and are more likely to stay than those with flat compensation, regardless of their pay level.
  
  
• CISOs need a multi-pronged approach to manage satisfaction and attrition. Flexible work models correlate strongly with satisfaction and retention: Hybrid work arrangements, particularly one to two days onsite per week, deliver the strongest work-life balance outcomes.
  
  
• Leadership emphasis on security drives staff commitment. 73% of security staff who see security as a core organizational priority report being satisfied with their careers, versus just 19% among those who perceive little or no organizational backing for security.

"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. "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"

About IANS
IANS helps cybersecurity leaders act faster and make better decisions by providing expert insights and actionable guidance from more than 170 experienced practitioners, proprietary benchmarking data, content-rich events, peer-to-peer information-sharing opportunities, and customized consulting services. Learn more at IANS.

About Artico Search
Founded in 2021, Artico Search's team of executive recruiters focuses on a "grow and protect" model, recruiting senior go-to-market and security executives in growth venture, private equity and public companies. Artico's dedicated security practice delivers CISOs and other senior-level information security professionals for a diverse set of clients.

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SOURCE IANS