How to get a cyber security job? What qualifications do you need for cyber security jobs? Is it hard to get into the cyber security field? Keep reading this blog post to find answers to these questions, and learn more about the best cyber security jobs in 2024.
The demand for cyber security jobs has been rising over the past decade. In fact, from 2013 to 2021, the requirement for cybersecurity professionals increased by over 350 percent. The demand will only increase further as more and more companies hire cyber security experts to counter cyber attacks.
A study by (ISC)² indicated that more than 3.1 million cybersecurity positions are unfilled across the globe. So, if you are a software engineer, developer, or IT professional, you should definitely consider a career in the cybersecurity domain.
Cybersecurity jobs can enable you to work in a fast-paced environment with a lot of opportunities for growth, learning, and improvement. Usually, cyber security jobs are very demanding and challenging, but perks like job security, high compensation, and outstanding career growth make them appealing choices.
This blog post deep dives into cybersecurity jobs, their requirements, and some more details to get you started in the cybersecurity sector.
IT Auditor As an IT auditor, you will be conducting analyses, assessments, and reports that highlight the issues with your organization’s technologies and their security, compliance, and efficiency. Auditors are in charge of planning and performing audits, documentation, presentation, and more. IT auditors offer guidance for improving the security measures within the systems and processes. IT auditors design elaborate plans to fix all kinds of security risks and identify opportunities to improve efficiency. Certifications like CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) can help a lot if you are applying for the role of an internal IT auditor or a security auditor.
Digital Forensic Examiner Do you enjoy solving puzzles and seeking clues? If yes, then the digital forensic investigator job is perfect for you. Digital forensic examiners can extract and retrieve information from computers, mobiles, and other electronic devices. They can also detect modes with which an unauthorized person may have accessed an encrypted system. Cyber forensic specialists work closely with law enforcement agencies for legal disputes, cases, or crimes that involve digital technologies. They collect, preserve, and analyze digital evidence, recover data from damaged/erased hard drives, and document the process. Certifications like GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE), or AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE) can help you boost your career as a digital forensic examiner.
Information Security Analyst Information security analysts are experienced network or systems administrators who can help you protect your organization’s networks and IT systems. They monitor networks for security breaches. They are well-versed in the trends and developments in the IT security field. IT security analysts strategize to improve the organization’s security and help their colleagues with the company’s security measures and procedures. CompTIA A+, GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA), and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) are some of the popular cybersecurity certifications to help you get started at an information security analyst job.
As an information security specialist, you will be in charge of maintaining data security best practices at your organization. Information Security Specialists collaborate with other teams to prevent unauthorized access, cyberattacks, data leaks, and other similar issues. People working in networking, IT support, systems engineering, and more can apply for information security specialist jobs.
Your daily responsibilities as security specialists may include maintaining firewalls, antiviruses, anti-phishing software, anti-malware systems, and other cybersecurity software. Also, you may be required to design and implement cybersecurity training for your company and look for potential information security risks.
The CompTIA Security+, Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), and GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) are some of the standard certifications required for cybersecurity specialist roles.
Note: The U.S. employment sector reflects a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals. According to CyberSeek, there are approximately 90,000 CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professionals) in the U.S., but the job openings that require CISSP stand at more than 106,000.
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Advanced-Level Cyber Security Jobs
Security Systems Administrator
As a security systems administrator, you will be in charge of the daily operations of your organization’s cybersecurity systems. You would review the security systems, maintain documentation, and run regular backups.
SS Administrators manage individual user accounts and collaborate with security teams to eliminate breaches or intrusions. Cybersecurity administrators also play a huge role in security audits. They maintain the log of security procedures for the company to follow.
Aspirants can get cybersecurity certifications like Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) to apply for security administrator jobs.
Penetration Tester
A penetration tester helps organizations identify their security weaknesses. As ethical hackers, their efforts enable the organization to secure its systems against non-ethical hackers.
Here’s how the testing works – A penetration tester attempts to breach a company’s computer networks with prior permission, to plan, design, and conduct penetration tests. The vulnerability assessor creates reports based on the tests and offers recommendations to the systems administrators. Lastly, system admins develop scripts to automate the penetration tests and offer technical support during incident handling.
If you wish to apply for ethical hacker jobs, work for certifications like Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA PenTest+, GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN), or more.
As a cybersecurity engineer, you would design cybersecurity systems that protect the data from cyber attacks, breaches, leaks, or other external threats. Security engineers develop and maintain network firewalls and intrusion detection systems. They also maintain compliance with their security systems and ensure that systems are installed and configured accurately.
In addition, cybersecurity engineers recommend enhancements, tweaks, and updates to the implemented network security systems. They create incident response teams and maintain a detailed incident log of any potential threats or vulnerabilities.
To apply for cybersecurity engineer jobs, apply for cybersecurity certification programs like Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), Google Cloud Security Certifications, and more.
Security Architect
A security architect sets the vision for their organization’s cybersecurity systems. Cybersecurity architects combine programming, threat analysis, and policy development to help the organization from cyber-attacks. They build and maintain security systems, prepare budgets for security expenses, and coordinate security operations.
In other words, Security architects improve the IT systems in response to external vulnerabilities or threats.
The CISSP, CISM, and CSA Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) are some of the common certifications developers choose to complete before applying for security architect jobs.
Cryptography Engineer
Cryptography involves securing and encrypting data for information exchange or communications. Cryptography engineers create sophisticated encryption algorithms, ciphers, codes, and other security protocols to protect the data.
They can encrypt and decrypt critical/classified information and transfer it via secure channels or systems. Also, cryptologists analyze existing encryption protocols for system issues, develop cryptographic algorithms, and implement them with newer tools and techniques.
The EC-Council Certified Encryption Specialist (ECES) is a great certification to get started with cryptography jobs.
Cybersecurity Manager
Cybersecurity managers lead the teams that manage the IT security infrastructure of an organization. They manage the technological and human resources involved in the cybersecurity teams.
Also, cybersecurity managers track changes to internal and external security policies and regularly ensure compliance.
In addition, cyber security managers source and provide the right cybersecurity tools and procedures for the company. They lead risk mitigation drives and keep track of all the changes and updates made to the security systems.
The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Security Professional (CISSP) are great certifications to upskill yourself and apply for managerial cybersecurity jobs near you.
In sum
The cybersecurity domain is a very attractive field for IT professionals, software developers, and engineers to enhance their careers. There is an immense demand for cybersecurity specialists, as it is estimated that by 2025, there will be 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs. More than 1.7 million searches were recorded for the keyword “cybersecurity jobs $100,000”. More than 45 percent of cybersecurity professionals reported that recruiters contacted them weekly, regardless of whether they were actively seeking employment. Such statistics indicate that cybersecurity experts will be in high demand in the coming years. Are you a software developer looking for cybersecurity jobs? Are you excited to work at a high-paying cyber security job with a top US company from the comfort of your home? Try Turing. For more information, visit the Apply for Jobs page.
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FAQs
How to get a cybersecurity job? The first step to getting a cybersecurity job would be to familiarize yourself with concepts related to programming and coding. Network with other cybersecurity professionals to learn more about working in the field. Practicing your cyber security skills on CTF (capture the flag) games, and experimenting with a second computer will also help.
What qualifications do you need for cyber security? A graduate or a postgraduate degree in computer science, cyber security, mathematics, IT, networking and security, or computer/IT engineering would be a good starting point. You can apply for cyber security certifications like CISSP, CISM, and others, to start your career as a cyber security specialist.
Is it hard to get into cyber security? No. It is very easy to get into cyber security. You need to have a graduate/post-graduate degree or a cyber security certification to apply for the jobs. There is a very high demand for cyber security professionals across the world, and the field will grow by more than 30 percent over the next decade.
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Kedar is a skilled technical content writer and a social media marketer. He has worked with Apollo Hospitals, upGrad, Lumina Datamatics, and other companies.
