Cybersecurity Careers, AI in the SOC, and the Future of GRC

October 2, 2025 - 4 minutes read - 777 words

I recently had an incredibly energizing conversation with my mentee Gabriel A, an emerging cybersecurity professional with a strong passion for AI, cloud security, and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC).

What stood out most was his curiosity and willingness to question assumptions about the industry.

Our discussion went far beyond just “jobs” in cybersecurity.

We explored where the field is heading, how emerging technologies are reshaping security roles, and the strategies someone entering the industry can use to ride the wave instead of being left behind.

It was a reminder that true growth comes from understanding the bigger picture, not just the immediate tasks at hand.

Cybersecurity Careers 2024 ≈ç

AI in the SOC: Fewer Alerts, More Impact

Security Operations Centers (SOCs) have always been the heart of detection and response. But with AI advancing at breakneck speed, the day-to-day reality of SOC work is changing fast.

Instead of drowning in alerts, analysts will increasingly see AI handling the noise—triaging, correlating, and surfacing the most important issues. This shift is already being written about by KPMG and echoed in The Hacker News’ latest 2025 insights.

The exciting part? It doesn’t make SOC roles obsolete. It frees people up to work on the really challenging problems—the kind that need human creativity and judgment.

From SOC to Engineering: Building the Future

I encouraged Gabriel to think about moving beyond the SOC into security engineering. That’s where the demand is surging, especially in cloud security and application security.

Why? Because every company is becoming a cloud company. Every product is software-driven. And someone has to make sure those foundations are resilient, secure, and trustworthy.

For SOC analysts today, the pivot into engineering is one of the best career bets you can make.

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GRC: From Checklists to Engineering

Gabriel’s other passion is GRC—and honestly, I get it. Governance, risk, and compliance often gets painted as “boring paperwork.” But the truth is, GRC is being reinvented right now.

Instead of annual audits and static checklists, we’re moving toward real-time, automated compliance. That’s the essence of GRC engineering—an area so important it’s been called out in places like the SANS blog and in the book GRC Engineering.

Tools like CyberSHIELD and others are pointing us toward a future where compliance isn’t a burden—it’s baked into the way organizations build and run systems. And that means people entering GRC today aren’t just “checking boxes.” They’re designing the rules of the digital world.

The Power of Mentorship and Community

Our conversation ended with something I think often gets overlooked: mentorship and community. Gabriel is seeking out one-on-one guidance and learning through group spaces like our Telegram channel, where we share resources and swap real-world lessons.

That openness to learning, and willingness to ask questions, is what accelerates careers. No certification alone can give you that.

Why I’m Optimistic

Cybersecurity can feel overwhelming—new threats, new tools, constant change. But if you zoom out, it’s one of the most rewarding industries you could choose.

It rewards curiosity. It rewards grit. And it rewards people who aren’t afraid to pivot as technology evolves.

Whether you’re coming in through the SOC, exploring cloud security, or getting excited about GRC engineering, there’s room to build a meaningful, impactful career. People like Gabriel remind me that the next wave of professionals won’t just keep up with the changes—they’ll shape them.

And that’s why I’m genuinely optimistic about where we’re headed.

Key Takeaways

Continuous Learning is Essential – Success in cybersecurity requires grit, curiosity, and ongoing skill development.
AI is Transforming SOC Roles – AI will automate repetitive monitoring and reduce the number of SOC analysts needed.
Pivot to Security Engineering – Roles like cloud security engineering and application security engineering will be in higher demand.
GRC Engineering is the Future of Compliance – Automation will continuously monitor and enforce compliance standards.
Cybersecurity Careers are Evolving – Professionals must adapt by embracing new skills in AI, cloud, and governance.
Mentorship Accelerates Growth – One-on-one guidance, communities, and tools like CyberSHIELD help new entrants thrive.