Hyper-Specialization in Security

Summary: The security community is becoming hyper-specialized, similar to marketing and IT. Detection engineering, once a subset of broader security roles, is now a distinct, demanding specialization requiring specific skills like writing performant detection rules with low false positives. Insights:

• Security roles are becoming increasingly specialized, mirroring trends in other mature fields like marketing and IT.
• Detection engineering has evolved from a general skill to a specialized role focused on creating effective and efficient detection rules.
• This specialization requires a deep understanding of technical details, such as PCRE, and the ability to write performant code at scale. Proper Nouns:
• PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions): A type of regular expression engine used in software for pattern matching, highlighting the technical depth required for modern security roles.

Research

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of this increased specialization within the cybersecurity field?
• How can organizations attract and retain talent for these hyper-specialized roles?
• How will this hyper-specialization impact the future of cybersecurity training and education programs?