By Bowsea Editorial Desk · Editorial Team, Bowsea · Published 2026-05-25
Tightened CE+ requirements are driving demand for assurance-side roles at consultancies and managed-service providers. Hands-on penetration testers remain the bottleneck but the growth is in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC).
Cyber hiring in the UK has split into two markets. The technical end — red team, threat hunting, detection engineering — is competitive but selective, with employers prioritising demonstrated CTF / lab work over certifications. The bigger growth band is GRC: people who can run an ISO 27001 audit, write a cyber assurance report a board will read, or take a client through CE+ recertification. For career movers from audit, law, or operations, the GRC path is the realistic entry point. CISSP and CISM are useful but not the gatekeepers they used to be — sector experience often counts more.