Cybersecurity Career Pathways And Certifications

We are living in a digital age, one in which everything has gone digital, from work from home to online education. It’s a moment when companies are rapidly increasing and growing.

However, with growth comes risk.

Hackers, malware, and viruses are always on the lookout for easy targets. In the twenty-first century, there have been numerous cyber-attacks of varying degrees of severity. The shortage of cybersecurity professionals has been a major issue for businesses. Last year, NASSCOM ( National Association of Software and Service Companie) reported that India alone would need 1 million cyber security professionals by late 2022.

You can begin your career as an entry-level IT professional, such as a help desk technician, network administrator, or software developer. After obtaining some IT experience, many cybersecurity experts start out as junior information security analysts.

Take some time to establish essential IT abilities, such as programming, networks and systems administration, and cloud computing, before applying for your first cybersecurity job. While a degree isn’t required for employment in cybersecurity, having some type of formal training can help you find a job faster.

Getting started : Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs :

Large data breaches at huge organizations have already occurred in the twenty-first century, exposing sensitive data such as credit card details, passwords, and social security numbers of hundreds of millions of people. Information security analysts work to safeguard firms from similar dangers, such as data breaches and hacking.

A job description for an information security analyst can contain the following:

1. Detecting, monitoring, and resolving security issues such as physical security, software security, and network security.
2. Controlling compliance through testing
3. Developing advice and training programmes to reduce the company’s security risk
4. Collaborating with other teams and management to implement best security practices within a firm
5. Common certifications: CompTIA Security+, GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA), GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

In this position, you’re the company’s security point person, ensuring that data is protected from illegal access and cyberattacks.

Security specialists’ responsibilities vary depending on the organization, but they may include:

This role might be right for you if you enjoy looking for clues to solve puzzles.
Digital forensic investigators extract data from computers and other digital devices in order to figure out how an unauthorized user gained access to a system or to gather the evidence for legal purposes.

The following are examples of day-to-day tasks:

1. Digital evidence collection, preservation, and analysis
2. Data recovery from corrupted or deleted hard discs
3. Common certifications:GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE), AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE)

An IT auditor is a management consultant who examines a company’s operations and looks for opportunities to improve them.

Some of your usual responsibilities may include:

Moving up : Mid-Level Cybersecurity Jobs :

A security systems administrator is responsible for all areas of information security and the protection of a company’s virtual data resources. They are in charge of desktop, mobile, and network security, as well as installing, administering, and troubleshooting security solutions for an enterprise.

Your responsibilities may include the following:

As a penetration tester, you’ll undertake attacks on a company’s existing digital systems in order to play a proactive, offensive role in cybersecurity. These tests may employ a range of hacking tools and techniques to uncover security flaws that could be exploited by hackers. You’ll keep detailed records of your actions and compile a report on what you did and how successful you were at breaking security standards.

Tasks might include:

You’ll develop the systems that protect a company’s computers, networks, and data from everything from cyber threats to natural disasters in this position. Firewalls and intrusion detection systems may be included in these security systems.

Day-to-day tasks might include:

You set the vision for a company’s security systems as a security architect. To keep an organization ahead of risks, this function integrates programming, threat research, and policy creation.

Your responsibilities might include:

A cybersecurity manager is an IT expert that oversees security systems and teams, analyses potential network vulnerabilities, and develops tactics to combat cybercriminals’ techniques of infiltration.

Tasks might include:

Cybersecurity Certifications Companies Are Hiring For :

Stay tuned for additional information on these certifications in my upcoming blog.

How Much Can You Make? Cybersecurity Salaries By Role :

Cybersecurity professionals tend to get paid well for their skills, even at the entry level. As you Even at the starting level, cybersecurity specialists tend to be well compensated for their abilities. Salaries often rise as you gain expertise and succeed in your career. Here’s an example of what’s possible, according to Glassdoor, the average compensation of many cybersecurity occupations in the United States in July 2021.

• Intrusion detection specialist: $59,663
• Junior cybersecurity analyst: $68,201
• Digital forensic examiner: $73,385
• IT security administrator: $74,031
• Incident response analyst: $74,232
• Cybersecurity consultant: $92,620
• Information security analyst: $98,706
• Ethical hacker: $99,484
• Penetration tester: $102,116
• Security engineer: $109,912
• Cybersecurity manager: $120,128
• Security architect: $152,955
• Chief information security officer: $171,480