There is a critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals trained in AI, highlighting the urgent need for continuous learning to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.

However, the adoption of AI is fraught with challenges, as some organizations ban its use due to misunderstandings about the risks, while others rush its implementation without proper guidelines, leading to increased vulnerabilities.

AI is rapidly transforming the cybersecurity landscape, with attackers increasingly using it to automate tactics such as reconnaissance and phishing, which outpaces defenders' response capabilities.

To maintain a competitive edge against these threats, cybersecurity professionals must adapt and effectively leverage AI.

In response to these challenges, the SANS Institute is addressing the skills gap by offering a course on Applied Data Science & Machine Learning for Cybersecurity, which focuses on practical applications of AI in defense strategies.

Additionally, the upcoming SANSFIRE 2025 conference will feature the SEC595 course, providing hands-on training in AI-driven security.

Despite the risks, organizations are beginning to adopt AI in their security workflows, enhancing capabilities in areas like digital forensics and threat detection.

Nonetheless, security teams are often overwhelmed by vast amounts of data and alerts, making it challenging to distinguish real threats from noise.

This overwhelming data environment contributes to many companies hesitating to fully implement AI, largely due to concerns about untested models and a lack of a robust security culture surrounding AI use.