In this age of modern technology the market is becoming more competitive than ever, as more businesses are switching towards digital platforms. But what we need to understand is this, the more advanced technology becomes the more vulnerable it gets. The ultimate concern of any online business owner is security, what will you do in case of a cyber-attack or when your data gets stolen? This is where cybersecurity professionals come in. Cybersecurity professionals are information security engineers responsible for building safety protocols with in web applications.
With this extreme surge towards digital technologies, there hasn’t been a better time to switch towards to cybersecurity. Whether you are just starting off or thinking about making a career switch this article will act as a guiding force for you which will help you make a calculated decision towards launching your career in Cybersecurity.
Scope of Cyber Security as a career
Cybersecurity as a career has immense hiring potential and growth opportunities, in fact cybersecurity professionals are the most sought out information technology experts these days. Not a day goes by when companies are not concerned about their cybersecurity infrastructure and potential threats. Cybersecurity acts as a life saver for businesses, and is a profession that is very hard to fill-in in the market today. Even payscale.com reported that in 2019 more than 60% of cybersecurity job advertisements went vacant.
Career scope and relevance with the market matters a lot when choosing a profession. When starting out it is important to know whether your career of choice would be in demand in the coming years or else you will become obsolete.
What does a Cyber Security professional do?
In simple terms, a cybersecurity professional is responsible for ensuring all security protocols are implemented successfully across multiple digital channels and applications. This may sound easy but in reality it is far from it, cybersecurity professionals are highly talented individuals capable of planning and scoping for long term threats. To fulfill these market needs you must have gone through a rigorous cybersecurity training and must be familiar with advanced cybersecurity testing drills.
Cybersecurity professionals often work with entire IT teams to ensure successful deployment of security patches. Sometimes cybersecurity professionals also need to collaborate with data science experts to embedded artificial intelligence based cybersecurity protocols so applications can make security decisions without any human interaction, prime example of this would be antivirus software installed across many web hosting. Depending on one organization to another a role of cybersecurity may contain the following responsibilities:
- Perform regular audits of the companies web servers/ mainframes and diagnose any security loop holes or bugs
- Work with the IT team and help them implement advanced security protocols
- Create a backup plan for all company servers in case of any outbreak
- Train IT and other support staff with necessary information regarding cybersecurity protocols
- Research and suggest new cybersecurity tools to the investment board in order to enhance security measures
- Make sure all company platforms are in compliance with up to date cybersecurity protocols
Skills required to become Cyber Security professional?
When opting for an online cybersecurity training it is important to know what skills you must learn and what not, in order to make a well informed decision you must be aware of the technical ins and outs of the cybersecurity industry. Some important skills that a cybersecurity must have are:
- Malware analysis and detection
A cybersecurity professional must be able to conduct analysis and detect and malware. This is an important skill for a cybersecurity professional to have because if the analysis is not done efficiently the entire after process will become useless as the threat was miscalculated to begin with.
- Basics for web programming
A successful cybersecurity must know the basic of web programming languages like JavaScript and Python, it is true at IT engineers are mainly responsible for implementation level work but it is important for a cybersecurity professional to know these languages so they can assist effectively.
- Critical thinking
Cybersecurity is a profession that requires strong decision making ability and critical thinking approach. Most of the time cybersecurity engineers are analyzing cyber threats and prepare for them accordingly. So in order to prepare to for threat that hasn’t happened yet to need to have out of the box thinking.
These are some of the brief but absolutely essential skills that a cybersecurity professional should have. When you’re opting for a cybersecurity training be sure you check their curriculum and verify if they offer the mentioned skills or not. Check out our cybersecurity training where we offer 100% self-paced cybersecurity training with up to date course outline and an official certificate of completion as well.
How to land a job in Cyber Security?
Many people still think that getting into cybersecurity requires a college degree in Computer Sciences which is not actually the case. Due to the high demand in the market, companies don’t really care about the conventional education path but instead are looking for individuals who have the skills.
Many online cybersecurity trainings offer in demand cybersecurity skills that you can learn in about 6 months. Even after graduation from your cybersecurity training be sure to do the following:
- Create a portfolio project in order to showcase your skills
- Communicate with relevant industries and individuals
- Don’t over or under sell yourself, it is important to know your limits
Cyber Security roles
Cybersecurity roles vary greatly according to business needs and experience level but some of the most in demand cybersecurity professions are:
- Penetration Tester/ Ethical Hacker – Tests the digital infrastructure and security measures of the organization.
- Cybersecurity Analyst – Diagnoses problems at an in-depth level.
- Security Engineer – Rectifies and enhances security protocols.
- Security Consultant – Advises on IT teams about security threats and how to fix them.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other cybersecurity roles you could take these are just a few to give you an idea. I hope this article has been useful in peaking your interest towards cybersecurity and will help you make a well-informed decision regarding your career.