GET DAILY SIGNALSCIBR vs HACK: Weighing Two Leading Cybersecurity ETFs
Key Takeaways
- CIBR tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index with roughly 45 holdings, while HACK tracks the Nasdaq ISE Cyber Security Select Index with around 23 holdings, giving CIBR a meaningfully broader diversification base.
- Both funds are passive, thematic cybersecurity ETFs, but CIBR skews toward pure-play software and networking security, whereas HACK includes a notable defense and aerospace tilt through names like NOC and GD.
- CIBR carries a slightly lower expense ratio (0.58%) than HACK (0.60%), a modest but persistent cost advantage over time.
- CIBR is the larger, more liquid fund, which can translate into tighter trading spreads and easier execution for institutional and retail investors alike.
- CIBR concentrates more heavily in its top positions, while HACK spreads weight more evenly across a smaller basket of names, affecting relative volatility and single-stock risk.
- Tickeron AI Verdict: CIBR is the preferred ticker, reflecting its lower cost, broader diversification, stronger liquidity, and more direct exposure to core cybersecurity growth drivers.
Why Cybersecurity ETFs Are Worth Watching
Cybersecurity has moved well beyond a narrow IT issue and now sits at the top of many board agendas. Rising data breaches, regulatory demands, and the ongoing shift to cloud and hybrid work models all play a role. In this space, two ETFs stand out: the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR) and the Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (HACK). Both follow passive, index-based approaches aimed at similar goals, yet their indexes, weighting methods, and sector biases create distinct exposure profiles. I examined their structures, holdings, and positioning to see which one aligns more closely with typical investor needs.
A Closer Look at CIBR
The First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR) tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index, a liquidity-weighted benchmark focused on companies the Consumer Technology Association classifies as cybersecurity providers. It holds about 45 securities and carries a 0.58% expense ratio. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry. Holdings lean heavily toward pure-play names such as PANW, FTNT, CRWD, CSCO, and AVGO, along with NET, OKTA, FFIV, ZS, and AKAM. The fund stays concentrated in technology and software, with little defense or industrial exposure, delivering a growth-oriented take on the theme that can heighten single-stock volatility.
Understanding HACK
The Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (HACK) follows the Nasdaq ISE Cyber Security Select Index, an adjusted market-cap-weighted benchmark of companies providing cybersecurity technology and services. It holds roughly 23 securities and charges a 0.60% expense ratio. Shared names with CIBR include AVGO, CRWD, CSCO, PANW, and ZS, but HACK distributes weight more evenly and adds a clear defense and aerospace tilt through NOC, GD, and LDOS. This mix gives HACK a hybrid profile that blends cybersecurity with defense technology exposure.
The Broader Cybersecurity Landscape
Secular drivers such as ransomware threats, cloud migration, identity management needs, and stricter data-privacy rules continue to support spending across both corporate and government sectors. Geopolitical tensions have also lifted defense budgets, adding another layer of interest. Pure-play software names often benefit from recurring revenue, while defense contractors gain from procurement cycles. Higher interest rates can pressure growth valuations, a factor more relevant to software-heavy holdings, whereas diversified cash flows from hardware, networking, and defense may offer some stability in uncertain markets.
Performance and Positioning Insights
Both ETFs have tracked the cybersecurity theme closely in recent periods, yet their compositions create different risk characteristics. CIBR’s heavier software tilt and concentrated top holdings tend to make it more sensitive to earnings reports and rate expectations. HACK has drawn some support from its defense allocations during periods of geopolitical stress. From a trading standpoint, CIBR’s larger size and higher liquidity generally mean tighter spreads. HACK’s smaller, more balanced basket reduces concentration risk but can expose investors to greater volatility in individual names. Overall, CIBR offers a more direct bet on software-driven cybersecurity growth, while HACK provides a blended cybersecurity-and-defense approach.
Integrating AI Tools Into ETF Analysis
When comparing thematic ETFs like these, I often turn to Tickeron’s AI Screener to quickly filter holdings by technical patterns, fundamentals, and sector trends. It helps surface comparable names and spot relative strength without manual effort, which keeps the research process efficient while staying focused on the data that matters most for portfolio decisions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
CIBR's RSI Indicator stays in oversold zone for 1 day
It is expected that a price bounce should occur soon.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 4 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a +0.63% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where CIBR advanced for three days, in 307 of 357 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 86%.
CIBR may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 254 of 289 cases where CIBR Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 88%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on November 02, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on CIBR as a result. In 64 of 79 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 81%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for CIBR turned negative on October 30, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 42 of the 46 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 90%.
CIBR moved below its 50-day moving average on October 30, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for CIBR crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on November 06, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 13 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 87%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where CIBR declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 81%.
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