In addition to creating structures to protect interconnected devices, professionals in this sector safeguard sensitive assets for applications and data. At the app level, infrastructure security professionals develop and deploy effective databases to prevent access by bad actors. For data, this field protects information by building structures for backups and encryption. Payscale reports an average annual cybersecurity salary of around $97,000, and these wages typically increase with experience.
A person in this role needs to be multi-disciplinary and adaptable to a wide variety of situations. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a more advanced certification designed for cybersecurity professionals with at least five years of work experience. The certification covers topics such as architecture, engineering, and management.
What jobs are available in cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity jobs tend to pay well and qualified people are needed at all levels. The demand for these IT pros is unlikely to change due to the fast growth of the IoT (Internet of Things) and because the rate of digital transformation is increasing. Information security shares some overlap with cybersecurity—in fact, cybersecurity is a subset of information security. However, cybersecurity focuses exclusively on protecting digital assets, while information security covers digital and physical information across all mediums.
Often times the job of a cybersecurity specialist can be somewhat routine. They are responsible for making sure that networks and computer systems are up-to-date and not vulnerable to software bugs. Examples include incident response analyst or security operations center (SOC) analyst. If you want to become a cybersecurity specialist, you need industry-recognized certifications. Two of the best cybersecurity certifications you can get are CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+).
Cybersecurity Specialist Qualifications and Certifications Requirements
Many organizations lost their equilibrium as they rapidly adopted new technologies during the height of the pandemic. Cybersecurity specialists can help organizations manage and improve information security. Growing your network can also mean joining a professional network on Meetup or Facebook to connect with cybersecurity professionals in your area. As you work on gaining some of the skills, you’ll most likely become familiar with some cybersecurity tools, software, and hardware systems along the way. It’s a good idea to become familiar with how to use at least one cloud program like Azure, which should translate to understanding the basics of how AWS and Google Cloud work. Companies will likely want expertise in whichever tools and software they use, so it’s better to be prepared for any scenario.
If you’ve already earned CompTIA Network+ and have at least two years of experience in IT administration with a cybersecurity focus, you are a good candidate for CompTIA Security+. Where you choose to get your degree is totally up to you and based on your needs. If you are a career changer and already working a full-time job that’s not in the tech sphere, an online degree could work best as it will be the most flexible option. For full-time students or those who haven’t started establishing their work history, a residential degree program could be a better fit. This role is critical because oftentimes data breaches come from inside the organization, either intentionally or accidentally. CompTIA certifications establish a baseline foundation of skills that you can build upon with other vendor or technology-specific certifications.
Get familiar with cybersecurity tools and software.
Most of their experience should come from working a cybersecurity-related job. Sometimes, IT professionals work in IT networking, systems engineering, security intelligence and financial and risk analysis prior to moving into a cybersecurity specialist role. Instead of (or in addition to) a degree, cybersecurity certifications help qualify an IT professional for a cybersecurity specialist role. So does membership in professional organizations for cybersecurity professionals. If you want to stand out in the cybersecurity field, CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is for you. It is designed for cybersecurity professionals who monitor security and deal with incident detection, prevention and response.
Cybersecurity is the process of protecting an organization’s computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access or damage. Cyberattacks and threats can access, change, or destroy sensitive information such as passwords, financial information, medical records, and other confidential data. Other cybersecurity certifications to consider include Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). CompTIA Security+ is chosen by more corporations and defense organizations than any other certification on the market to validate baseline security skills.
What Are Some Other Top Cybersecurity Careers?
cybersecurity specialist programs earn a median annual salary of $112,000 – this is 142% higher than the median national wage for all occupations. With CompTIA Security+, you’ll gain knowledge and skills related to cyberattacks, threats and vulnerabilities, as well as operations and incident response. Additionally, you’ll learn about architecture and design, implementation and governance, risk and compliance. Some cybersecurity specialist job descriptions require a college degree in computer science, cybersecurity or database management. Systems administration, telecommunications and network design are other degree specializations that would be useful to a cybersecurity specialist. Chief information security officers (CISOs), network engineers, systems engineers and systems administrators, plus other roles, are also considered cybersecurity specialists.
Reach out to cybersecurity professionals on LinkedIn for informational interviews—or send a message to hiring managers to reiterate your interest after applying for a job. To lessen the devastation cybercrime causes, organizations employ cybersecurity specialists. Cybersecurity specialists work on IT teams that are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the business’s network and data. Traditionally, network operations and IT technology supplemented the core business. But increasingly, the success of a business relies on the success and capability of its network.
How To Become A Cybersecurity Specialist
Regardless of your degree, it is important to constantly educate yourself on new technologies and threats. Sometimes, this may mean taking additional cyber certifications or classes after you are hired. As a discipline within network engineering, this field covers protection against breaches for interconnected electronics rather than individual databases or devices. Network security professionals use firewalls, physical hardware and education efforts to safeguard against intrusions and retain lost data.
As experts in cybersecurity, these specialists help to create, analyze and deploy organizational security systems. Cybersecurity specialists test for areas of potential exposure in interconnected computer networks, document their findings and provide solutions for vulnerabilities. In terms of skills, experience, and general mindset, a cybersecurity specialist needs to be like a Swiss Army knife of the digital world.
As a result, employees dedicated full time to cybersecurity have gone from being a luxury to a necessity. Some experts say the fields of cybersecurity, network security, information security and infrastructure security are all different. Others consider these cybersecurity careers to exist under the same umbrella of computer security.
- They work to make sure that networks are safe from external threats like hackers or crackers who want access for malicious purposes.
- Many large corporations are also setting up their own cybersecurity taskforces and are increasingly hiring cybersecurity specialists.
- These are just a few examples of the dozens of cybersecurity certifications available.
- These are common skills listed on cybersecurity specialist job descriptions.
- These cybersecurity professionals also construct, install and operate firewalls and set and implement security standards.