What Is CIBR? First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF
Short answer
CIBR is a cybersecurity-theme ETF from First Trust that tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index and holds about 46 stocks, including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Zscaler, Cisco, and Broadcom. It offers growth-oriented, thematic exposure to the security software and hardware industry rather than a broad market index. The expense ratio is 0.58%, which is typical for a thematic sector fund. Compared with BUG (Global X Cybersecurity) and HACK (Amplify Cybersecurity), CIBR is the largest of the three by assets and weights toward liquidity, so it blends pure-play security names with larger networking companies like Cisco and Broadcom.
CIBR is issued by First Trust and tracks Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index. It charges a 0.58% expense ratio, holds approximately approximately $13 billion in assets under management, yields about approximately 0.5%, and launched in July 6, 2015.
What is CIBR?
CIBR is a cybersecurity-theme ETF from First Trust that tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index and holds about 46 stocks, including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Zscaler, Cisco, and Broadcom. It offers growth-oriented, thematic exposure to the security software and hardware industry rather than a broad market index. The expense ratio is 0.58%, which is typical for a thematic sector fund. Compared with BUG (Global X Cybersecurity) and HACK (Amplify Cybersecurity), CIBR is the largest of the three by assets and weights toward liquidity, so it blends pure-play security names with larger networking companies like Cisco and Broadcom.
CIBR is issued by First Trust and tracks Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index, so a single ticker gives you the whole basket of underlying holdings weighted by the index's methodology rather than by any active stock-picking.
CIBR holdings: what's actually inside
CIBR is weighted toward its largest constituents. As of early 2026, the top holdings are:
| Rank | Ticker | Company | % of CIBR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRWD | CrowdStrike Holdings | 11.1% | |
| 2 | PANW | Palo Alto Networks | 10.6% | |
| 3 | FTNT | Fortinet | 8.9% | |
| 4 | CSCO | Cisco Systems | 8.0% | |
| 5 | AVGO | Broadcom | 7.6% | |
| 6 | NET | Cloudflare | 4.1% | |
| 7 | AKAM | Akamai Technologies | 3.3% | |
| 8 | DDOG | Datadog | 3.3% | |
| 9 | OKTA | Okta | 3.2% | |
| 10 | ZS | Zscaler | 3.2% |
The remaining holdings make up the balance of the fund, with weights tapering off below the top names. Because the index reconstitutes on a rolling basis, the roster stays current without active management. Each ticker above links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.
Themes CIBR is commonly used to express
ETFs are passive bundles; thematic baskets in Walnut let you concentrate within them. If you hold CIBR as a core position, these are the themes you might layer on as satellites.
The bottom line on CIBR
CIBR gives concentrated, thematic exposure to the cybersecurity industry through a liquidity-weighted basket of roughly 46 security software and infrastructure companies. Its 0.58% expense ratio and tech-heavy, growth-tilted holdings make it more volatile and more narrowly focused than a broad market fund.
More on CIBR
Whether CIBR is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is CIBR a buy?
CIBR yields approximately 0.5% as of early 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see CIBR dividend: yield and schedule.
Build a portfolio around CIBR with Walnut
Use CIBR as your core holding, then let Walnut's AI propose thematic satellites: AI infrastructure, dividend growth, clean energy, whatever you believe in. Connect your broker, build the basket in conversation, track it as one unit.
FAQ
What is CIBR?
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CIBR is the First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF, a thematic fund that tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index. It holds roughly 46 companies tied to the cybersecurity industry, including security software firms, networking companies, and government IT contractors. Launched in 2015, it is one of the largest cybersecurity ETFs available.
What is CIBR's expense ratio?
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CIBR has an expense ratio of 0.58%, meaning roughly $5.80 per year on a $1,000 investment. That is typical for a thematic sector ETF and higher than broad-market index funds, which often charge under 0.10%.
CIBR vs BUG vs HACK
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All three are cybersecurity ETFs. CIBR (First Trust) is the largest by assets and uses a liquidity-weighted index that mixes pure-play security names with larger networking companies like Cisco and Broadcom. BUG (Global X Cybersecurity) tilts more toward pure-play security software, and HACK (Amplify Cybersecurity) is the oldest of the group. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does CIBR hold?
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CIBR holds about 46 stocks across the cybersecurity industry. Top positions include CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Cisco, and Broadcom, followed by names such as Cloudflare, Akamai, Datadog, Okta, and Zscaler. The top ten holdings make up roughly 60% of the fund.
Does CIBR pay a dividend?
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Yes, CIBR pays a small dividend, typically distributed quarterly, with a yield of around 0.5%. Because the fund holds growth-oriented technology companies that reinvest earnings, income is minor and most of the return potential comes from price appreciation.
Is CIBR a good investment?
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Whether CIBR fits depends on your goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. It offers concentrated exposure to the cybersecurity theme, which can be more volatile than a broad market fund and rises or falls with security and tech spending. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
How is CIBR weighted?
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CIBR tracks the Nasdaq CTA Cybersecurity Index, which is liquidity-weighted rather than purely market-cap weighted. This approach favors more heavily traded companies, which is why larger networking names like Cisco and Broadcom appear alongside pure-play security software firms, and it caps how concentrated any single position can become.
Is CIBR a pure-play cybersecurity fund?
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Not entirely. While CIBR is built around the cybersecurity theme, its liquidity-weighted index includes large infrastructure and networking companies such as Cisco and Broadcom whose businesses extend well beyond security. Investors seeking narrower exposure to dedicated security software may compare it with funds like BUG.
How do I compare CIBR to similar ETFs?
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Put a few fields side by side: the expense ratio (fees compound over decades), the index or strategy it tracks, the top holdings and how much they overlap with what you already own, the dividend yield, and the AUM, liquidity, and bid-ask spread that affect trading costs. For index funds, tracking error (how closely it follows its index) and tax efficiency matter too. CIBR's figures are above; the full method is in Walnut's guide on how to compare ETFs.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to early 2026; verify current figures against First Trust's fund page or your broker before investing.