Security Engineer Introduction:
A security engineer is a unique kind of engineering field. That mainly focuses on the security aspects of the organization. He is bombarded with numerous responsibilities of securing an organization/business from harmful security threats. He thinks one step ahead of hackers and tries to establish a defensive shield by implementing security solutions.
They protect your sensitive data. Highly confidential customer records (e.g., patient records in hospitals, financial records in banks).
There are a lot of cybercriminals in the world online. They are individuals or a group of people who commit malicious activities on a computer system or network of an organization to obtain personal data. They are of many different types, such as; identify thieves, internet stalkers, phishing scammers, cyber terrorists, etc. Security Engineers protect your system and networking from them.
Degree Requirements:
To become a security engineer, you must study the engineering field or computer science in college or universities,
Bachelor’s degree is a four-year undergraduate degree with courses like operating systems, systems programming, data structures, and network security. In mid-semester, it divides the curriculum into tracks: Software, Algorithms, Systems, and Information & Intelligence. Courses at the end of semesters include Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and spatial intelligence.
AI is a core need for cybersecurity; a security engineer must take a keen interest in this field. Security engineers today are upgrading from conventional security protocols to AI. Just to use a dynamic and evolving approach to protect from security threats.
Bachelor’s degree also provides a balanced view of hardware and software, merging hardware and software, analysis, designs, and implementation techniques. They also educate students about communication between different electronic devices, designs of electronic integrated components, the process of giving instruction to software, writing code, compiling it, and optimize it according to specific hardware platforms.
Along with education, one must also join cybersecurity boot camps. They are well-structured programs designed to assist students in gaining essential information. It will help them develop software that resolves IT security issues.
Skills and Knowledge:
A security engineer must know
- How to execute security systems in computer systems and networks.
- Monitoring of the security
- How to upgrade security according to current threats.
- He must know the development environment, networks, and operating system software.
- He must be well aware of transaction security.
- He must be an analytical thinker
- He must have excellent communication skills. Because he has to make, people convinced about measures of security threats.
- Can handle the pressure.
- He must think creatively and always one step ahead of cybercriminals.
- He must possess excellent writing skills
Professional certification & Training:
Professional certification is another way to get into this field. It enhances your knowledge and expertise. You can educate yourself from universities or professional organizations. Below is the list of few in-demand professional certificates
- CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker
- CISM: Certified Information Security Manager
- CompTIA Security+
- CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- GSEC: SANS GIAC Security Essentials
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
- Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Security
CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker:
To think one step ahead of hackers, you must think just like him. One must have a balance of moral ethics like cyber police and processing malicious thoughts like a cybercriminal. Hackers are innovators and continuously evolve to breach into your system.
The Certified Ethical Hacker is considered an intermediate-level credential offered by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). It is generally owned by every IT security consultant. It gives a boost to a career in ethical hacking.
CISM: Certified Information Security Manager:
Certified Information Security Manager is the essential certification of all time, promotes international security practices. It gives guidance about the designs and management of information security of an enterprise. You will learn below sections of cybersecurity in the CISM management course,
- Development and management of information security.
- Incident management of information security.
- Risk management and compliance of information.
The exam of CISM is very critical and requires a lot of time and learning. After completion of the exam, your pay scale approximately will be $160,000 per year.
Any security engineer who wants to try his luck in enterprise security must give it a try.
CompTIA Security+:
CompTIA Security+ is a fundamental level cybersecurity certificate for security engineers or IT professionals. Those who hold CompTIA Security+ certification have the following skillset,
- They possess superior technical skills.
- They have expertise in an area such as cryptography, threat management, identity management, security, network access controls, and system risks.
CompTIA Security+ certification is also approved by the US Department of Defense, and it compiles the standard of ISO 17024. It has a single exam costing $339. Those who obtain this certification must renew it every 3 years.
CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional:
Another popular certification for security engineers is CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Many IT companies employers think CISSP as an essential requirement for employees’ responsibility. This course helps you thoroughly in,
- Networking
- Access Control
- Telecommunications
- Cryptography
It is not verdure specific certification. Hence after owning this certificate, you can apply knowledge to several setups.
GSEC: SANS GIAC Security Essentials:
Another necessary entry-level certification is the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC). After passing the test of this certificate security engineer will command on the below skills.
- He can quickly identify and prevent wireless attacks.
- Manage access controls, passwords, DNS, cryptography, authentication,
- IPv6, Linux, ICMP, public critical infrastructure, network mapping, and network protocols.
GSEC must get renewed every 4 years.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM):
It is famous for its top credentials for security engineers and IT professionals. To obtain CISM certification, one must
- Pass through the Certified Information Security Manager exam.
- Accept the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics.
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP):
Anyone who wants to become a security engineer should follow new and current trends such as cloud security. Half population complaints that security solution doesn’t cover the cloud environment in their organization.
The CCSP certification gives you a full understanding of cloud security architecture, design, services, and operation. It is designed for security professionals to understand,
- Platform and infrastructure security
- Cloud operations
- Cloud architecture and design concepts
- Cloud data security
- Legal and compliance
It is an ideal certification of security engineers and related fields like systems architects, systems engineers, security managers, security administrators, and enterprise architects.
Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI):
There are thousands of cyber-attacks that occur every day to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator is bombarded with tasks like analyzing cyber-attacks, leak of information, hacked crime reports, and look through audits to forbid future cybercrimes.
CHFI certification curriculum includes,
- Technical examination, analysis, and reporting of computer-based evidence left by hackers.
- Detail report of Incident response and forensics.
- Recovering deleted, encrypted or damaged file information
Conclusion:
In the era of digital, the need, and opportunities for security, engineers are increasing day by day. It is the most adoptive career in today’s world. There are a few essential steps to become a security engineer. One must study a proper bachelor’s degree in computer-related fields; also, cybersecurity boot camps are worthy of trying out in your student life. Then he must possess some skillset such as excellent communication and a keen interest in information security. Security engineer careers also require some professional certifications such as CCSP, CHFI, CISM, CompTIA Security+, CISSP, CISM, & GSEC.