Demand is strong and growing. There are approximately 143,000 individuals in the UK cyber security workforce, with growth moderately accelerating from 2% in 2022 to 5% in 2024 the government's Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2025 report. That tells us the talent pool is expanding, but not fast enough to keep pace with the roles being created.
The wider defence sector is pulling in the same direction. MOD expenditure with industry supported a total of 272,000 direct jobs in 2023/24, an increase of 11% compared to the previous financial year the MOD supported employment estimates 2023/24. A year earlier, the total number of MOD-supported UK jobs reached 239,000 in 2022/23, an increase of 6% on the previous financial year the MOD supported employment estimates 2022/23. The direction of travel is clear, and it points to more hiring, not less.
Fresh investment keeps the pressure on. More than 1,700 new jobs are being created across the UK defence sector following at least £1.4 billion in foreign direct investment committed since July 2024 a government announcement on the defence dividend. Every one of those teams needs people who can test systems and prove they are secure.
In practice, a handful of assured certifications unlock the widest set of defence-and-security roles. Think of them as the tickets that get you through the door.
The hiring strain behind this demand is real. A comparison with the Cyber Security Skills 2024 report showed 70% of cyber firms reported at least one hard-to-fill vacancy the AI Labour Market Survey 2025. Assured penetration testers sit right at the sharp end of that gap.
Recruitment across defence has been climbing for years. Surveyed recruitment grew by 17.8% in 2022 a government report on the defence sector's economic contribution. When you combine that growth with the certification and clearance barriers above, you get a market where the right people are genuinely scarce and the wrong hire is expensive in time, not just money.
The lesson for employers is simple. Skills proven by a recognised ticket are the fastest way to filter signal from noise, and the people who hold them know their worth.
Start with the ticket, then test the thinking. A CHECK or CREST certification tells you someone has met an assured standard; a short practical scenario tells you how they approach a real target. Use both.
Hire for proven capability and the mindset to keep learning. The threats move, and so should your team.
This is where we come in. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find people with the exact tickets and clearance your roles need, then manage the process end to end: sourcing, screening, shortlisting and interview scheduling. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. Tell us the role today and let us build your shortlist.
