Cybersecurity Recruitment Insights
Dive into the latest market analyses, cybersecurity trends, recruitment tips and thought leadership. Our experts share their knowledge on the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity recruitment.
Cybersecurity Insights
Thought Leadership & Market Intelligence
5 min read
ABDO screening: hiring security contractors for defence
ABDO screening also applies to contracted security staff. What the move to ABRO means for Dutch defence work, and why you should allow eight weeks.
Read4 min read
WordPress vulnerability CVE-2026-119977: what to do now
WordPress vulnerability CVE-2026-119977 is being exploited. Upgrade to 7.1.4, then find every WordPress site you run. What to check this week.
Read6 min read
How to write a business continuity plan under NIS2 and DORA
Six steps to a business continuity plan that holds up under NIS2 and DORA, from impact analysis to testing, and the roles you need to make it work.
Read5 min read
What does an information security officer do? ISO vs CISO
What does an information security officer do, and how does an ISO differ from a CISO? Tasks, what NIS2 and DORA expect, and the profile you need.
Read5 min read
Three lines of defence model: who owns ICT risk?
The three lines of defence model splits ICT risk between owners, oversight and audit. What each line does under DORA and which profile to hire for it.
Read5 min read
NEN 7510 and NIS2: what Dutch healthcare must now prove
Dutch healthcare must now meet NEN 7510 across all systems under NIS2. What the new regulation requires and which security profile to bring in first.
Read5 min read
DORA privileged access management: who do you need?
DORA privileged access management: what Article 21 of the technical standard requires, and the three PAM roles a bank needs to meet it in practice.
Read5 min read
GitLab CVE-2026-97229: why upgrading alone isn't enough
GitLab vulnerability CVE-2026-97229 (CVSS 10) sits in Ruby. On a custom build, upgrading GitLab is not enough, as Alpine Linux found. What to check now.
Read5 min read
DPO vs privacy officer: why public bodies should split them
A DPO supervises, a privacy officer does the work. Why public bodies should not give both roles to one person, even when hiring on an interim basis.
Read5 min read
Incident response retainer or interim DFIR specialist?
Incident response retainer or interim DFIR specialist? What the Dutch NIS2 law asks of you in the first 24 hours, and which of the two to arrange first.
Read4 min read
Water sector cyber security: which role to hire first
The Cyberbeveiligingswet, BIO2 and a tight OT market: which security role a Dutch water board or drinking water company should hire first, and why.
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Hiring a security contractor: your request checklist
What to settle before you hire a security contractor: outcome, hard requirements, rate, interviews, screening and contract type. A seven-point checklist.
Read5 min read
Interview questions for a TPRM specialist under DORA
Hiring a TPRM specialist for DORA? These interview questions show whether a candidate can handle the register of information, ICT contracts and exit plans.
Read5 min read
Hiring security contractors for Dutch government
The Cbw and BIO2 push Dutch government to add security capacity. How to hire a cybersecurity contractor: tender thresholds, plan of approach, rate caps.
Read7 min read
OT security in the energy sector: which roles do you need?
The Dutch Cybersecurity Act, the Wwke and the EU network code demand provable OT security. The five OT profiles an energy company needs right now.
Read5 min read
PHP2Shell: what CISOs must do now after the PHP flaws
Two critical PHP flaws (CVE-2026-109618/109619) are now exploited in the wild. What CISOs must patch, ask suppliers and document now, and who does it.
Read3 min read
Hiring an interim CISO: costs, rates and timing
What does an interim CISO cost, when do you bring one in and what should you look for when selecting one? A practical guide for executives and CIOs.
Read7 min read
H1 2026 Review: What We Learned and Where We're Headed
MVPeople in numbers H1, market insights, top 3 trends, lessons learned, H2 outlook including AI Security, OT Security and Executive Search expansion. Personal note from Mathijs.
Read8 min read
From Junior to CISO: Career Paths in Cybersecurity
Four routes to CISO: Technical, GRC, Offensive and Management. Per stage: experience required, certifications, salary range, critical transition moments.
Read6 min read
The ROI of Retained Search for Cybersecurity Leadership
The cost of a failed CISO hire: 6-12 months lost, strategy delay, compliance risk. Why retained search is an investment with measurable ROI — and how MVPeople's process works.
Read6 min read
Mid-Year Cybersecurity Salary Update
Which roles went up or down since February, new profiles (AI Security Engineer, LLM Red Teamer), freelance rate shifts, and a quick-reference table of 15 roles.
Read6 min read
How to Write a Cybersecurity Job Description That Attracts Top Talent
70% of security job descriptions repel great candidates. Six structural fixes, a before/after example, and a downloadable template — free of charge.
Read7 min read
Diversity in Cybersecurity: Progress and Pitfalls
Diverse teams detect more threats. Current figures, common mistakes, what actually works — and how MVPeople incorporates diversity into every search.
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Staffing a SOC in 30 Days
Major retailer, compliance audit, no SOC capacity, one Sentinel licence. Week 1: team design. Week 4: SOC live. First real incident handled week 5.
Read7 min read
Cybersecurity Hiring Trends: Q1 2026 Review
What Q1 taught us: top in-demand roles, salary developments, AI-security emerging, and MVPeople's own numbers — placements, time-to-fill, most-placed profiles.
Read6 min read
Why We Built MVPrentice: Solving the Junior Talent Gap
3.5M unfilled vacancies globally, employers demanding 3-5 years for 'junior' roles. MVPrentice: selection on potential, guided placement, certification track, senior mentorship.
Read5 min read
Interview Tips for Senior Cybersecurity Roles
How to prepare for CISO-level interviews: researching security maturity, STAR examples, board-level communication, red flags, and how to weigh competing offers.
Read8 min read
The State of IAM Talent in Europe
IAM is one of the most competitive niches in European cybersecurity. Vacancy trends, top platforms (SailPoint, CyberArk, Okta, Entra ID), salary benchmarks, hiring recommendations.
Read7 min read
Freelance vs Permanent: What's Right for Your Security Team?
No one-size-fits-all. TCO comparison, flexibility trade-offs, and the hybrid model: permanent core plus flexible shell. MVPeople advises on the optimal mix.
Read6 min read
Building a GRC Team from Scratch
Fast-growing fintech, DORA deadline, zero GRC capacity. Phase 1: interim GRC Lead. Phase 3: frameworks built, audit passed, Series B successful.
Read8 min read
Top 10 Cybersecurity Certifications in 2026
CISSP, CISM, CCSP, OSCP, CRISC — which certifications do employers actually value? ROI scores, cost, level and career-stage advice from junior to CISO-ready.
Read7 min read
NIS2 Compliance: The Talent You Actually Need
NIS2 isn't a technical problem — it's a people problem. We break down the essential roles, scarcity levels, and freelance vs permanent advice per function.
Read6 min read
How We Placed a Security Architect in 5 Days
Client's cloud migration stalled. Internal recruitment failed for 3 months. Day 1: intake. Day 5: offer accepted. The full story with timeline, metrics and quotes.
Read5 min read
5 Signs Your Organisation Needs an Interim CISO
From post-breach recovery to NIS2 deadlines and M&A security gaps — five situations where an interim CISO is a strategic necessity, not a luxury.
Read12 min read
Cybersecurity Salary Guide Europe 2026
The definitive benchmark for cybersecurity compensation in Europe. Salary ranges per role, freelance day rates vs permanent packages, regional breakdown, YoY trends shaped by NIS2 and AI adoption.
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4 min read
Hiring cybersecurity staff: 6 models compared
Freelance, secondment, permanent hire, partners, young professionals or a project: six ways to fill security capacity, and when each one fits best.
Read6 min read
IAM vs CIAM: which profile fits your organisation?
IAM or CIAM? The difference, the five IAM profiles (architect, engineer, consultant, IGA, PAM) and how to decide which specialist your organisation needs.
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5 min read
Demonstrating NIS2 compliance: checklist and talent
How do you demonstrate NIS2 compliance? A checklist covering registration, risk analysis, incident reporting and the board, plus the roles you need.
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