How Security Consultant Can Transition to AI Security Engineer in 2025

In this episode, we explore the rapid evolution of cybersecurity and the critical rise of a new specialisation: the AI Security Engineer. As artificial intelligence advances, it not only enhances our defensive capabilities but also introduces sophisticated new attack vectors that traditional security measures can't handle.

AI Security Certification - Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) course

This has created a massive demand for professionals who can secure the AI systems themselves, with an estimated 4.8 million unfilled cybersecurity positions worldwide and a significant shortage of experts skilled in both AI and cybersecurity.

We'll break down the key differences between a traditional Cybersecurity Analyst and an AI Security Engineer. While an analyst typically monitors and responds to threats in existing IT systems, an AI Security Engineer proactively works to secure machine learning models throughout their lifecycle, from development to deployment. 

This involves a shift from passive monitoring to actively protecting AI systems from unique threats like adversarial attacks, data poisoning, model inversion, and inference attacks.

Discover the skills you already possess as a cybersecurity analyst that are directly transferable to an AI security role. Core competencies like threat analysis, incident response, and risk management are essential foundations. We'll discuss how to build upon these by adding knowledge of AI/ML concepts, programming languages like Python, and frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch.

For those ready to make this pivotal career move, we lay out a practical roadmap for the transition, which can take as little as three to four months with focused effort. A key resource highlighted is the Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) course, designed to equip security professionals with hands-on experience in AI threat modelling, supply chain security, and simulating real-world attacks. The course covers critical frameworks like MITRE ATLAS and the OWASP Top 10 for LLMs and provides practical experience with over 25 hands-on exercises.

Finally, we look at the incredible career opportunities this transition unlocks. AI Security Engineers are in high demand across major industries like finance, technology, government, and healthcare. 

This demand is reflected in significantly higher salaries, with AI Security Engineers in the US earning between $150,000 and $250,000+, often 20-40% more than their cybersecurity analyst counterparts. With the AI security market projected to grow exponentially by 2030, this specialisation represents one of the most promising and lucrative career paths in technology today.