Cybersecurity protects servers, computers, electronic systems, networks, mobile devices, and data from digital attacks. Cyber threats continue to grow globally rapidly, with increasing data breaches each year. Professionals in this field provide essential services to protect individuals and organizations from digital threats.
Cybersecurity has developed into a diverse and complex set of functions. Functional specializations have different roles requiring distinct knowledge, skills, and abilities. There are many opportunities for professionals in this field to work as ethical hackers, information security analysts, cloud security analysts, cybersecurity engineers, and malware analysts.
Every business that uses networks can be targeted for corporate espionage, customer attacks, or customer data. Cyber-attacks can cause operational disruption, such as critical data loss or system downtime. These disruptions can prevent companies from delivering products and services, harm customer relationships, and possibly result in contractual penalties. More finance is allocated to cybersecurity to act against the rising cyber threat, and experts are employed to protect digital systems.
How to begin a cybersecurity career
Advances in technology have created a demand for cybersecurity professionals who can protect against cyber threats. Preparing for a career in cybersecurity can involve taking the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program at St. Bonaventure University. The program covers machine learning, data mining, and enterprise security. An expert in this field can command an impressive Master’s in Cybersecurity salary and aim for excellent careers like the ones discussed in this article.
Governments worldwide are offering guidance to help organizations implement effective cybersecurity practices. In America, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) develops cybersecurity best practices, guidelines, and standards to meet the needs of individuals, federal agencies, and industry.
There are numerous specialties within cybersecurity, as expertise is required in various areas. Security and risk management contain many elements that must be addressed. Aspiring cybersecurity professionals looking to specialize can think about where their strengths lie. They could be most interested in a technology-based, business-oriented career or working with people. Skills relevant to different careers could include seeing the bigger picture, identifying patterns related to IT systems or business, and recognizing technical details like log files or breach-related clues. It is beneficial to identify areas of interest and skills to improve. Cybersecurity is complex and diverse, and having a particular area of interest is advantageous. With continuous learning, this can mean developing skills that will be sought after by employers.
Here is a look at some specialties for cybersecurity professionals:
Ethical Hackers
Malicious hackers want to gain unauthorized access to company networks, whereas ethical hackers are skilled in hacking and use that skill to provide cybersecurity. They identify weaknesses and potential security issues in a company’s network, then report where the vulnerabilities are so the problems can be fixed and future breaches avoided. Ethical hackers have a wide range of computing skills. They must have proficiency in operating systems, expertise in scripting languages, an understanding of information security principles, and thorough networking knowledge.
Ethical hackers aim to behave like hackers when assessing an organization’s technology system. They look for methods or pathways hackers use and try to find as much information as possible when conducting their investigation. When they have enough information, they use it to look for vulnerabilities in the system using a combination of manual and automated testing.
In addition to finding vulnerabilities, ethical hackers use exploits to demonstrate how a hacker could operate. Examples of common vulnerabilities found by ethical hackers include sensitive data exposure, security misconfigurations, injection attacks, broken authentication, and the use of components with known vulnerabilities. After their investigation, ethical hackers produce a detailed report including steps to compromise the vulnerabilities discovered and steps to mitigate or patch them.
Ethical hackers work in a stimulating environment that demands continuous learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and intellectual challenges. The ever-changing cybersecurity landscape constantly presents new tasks and challenges. They have diverse job opportunities and competitive salaries and are in great demand by businesses that understand ethical hackers’ crucial role in identifying network vulnerabilities and strengthening security defenses.
Information security analyst
Information security protects information systems and networks from potential attacks. It uses security protocols and measures to guard an organization’s digital assets. The initial stage in a security operation is understanding the risks and what a breach would cause. Risks could be found where the organization is most vulnerable to an attack.
The risk assessment would enable the security professionals to develop policies to guide security operations. Policies could include procedures for responding to a threat and password requirements. After the policies are in place, the security measures developed to protect the organization’s assets are implemented. The measures could include detection systems, encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems.
The information security analyst has the security measures in place and continuously monitors systems and networks for indications of a cyber-attack. Automated tools can be used to notify of any suspicious activity. A quick response is required to mitigate the danger if a potential threat is identified. The policies are in place, so the response is already planned.
When the threat has been mitigated, affected data or systems must recover. This could involve repairing damaged systems, rebuilding systems, or restoring systems from backup. The information security analyst will review the incident to help improve the response in the future. The entire process will be reviewed regularly to keep up with evolving threats.
Information security analysts have high-level skills in analysis, communication, and problem-solving. These skilled professionals are in demand by organizations, and employment in this role is expected to continue growing.
Cloud security analyst
The cloud security analyst has responsibility for cloud security, cloud threats, and security issues. This role involves the integration, design, and testing of security management tools, advises on system improvements, assesses the cloud security position of the organization, and offers technical expertise to inform management decision-making. Vulnerabilities are found and patched in the cloud environment to ensure hackers are not authorized to gain access. The cloud system analyst helps an organization secure in the multi-cloud environment needed for businesses today.
A cloud security risk assessment evaluates potential risks and vulnerabilities related to a cloud-based system. The evaluation ensures that an organization’s data is protected while stored on a remote server. Cloud security analysts test current security solutions and configurations to see if they have adequate protection against potential threats. This process identifies any vulnerabilities in their cloud infrastructure so they can be resolved. Cloud service configurations are a common reason for security issues.
First, a cloud security analyst assesses and identifies all the assets stored in the cloud environment. This could include financial records, customer data, and employee information. The assets can then be classified according to sensitivity. This demonstrates the assets that need the most protection. Now, potential threats that could target sensitive data need to be identified. This could include hackers and internal threats. The cloud infrastructure will be tested to check if third parties can access it. The risks associated with each threat are evaluated, and controls are implemented to mitigate them. The controls could be firewalls, encryption, and staff training.
There has been a large increase in businesses using cloud-based infrastructure. This is reflected in the growing number of employment opportunities in this field, and highly trained cybersecurity professionals can find interesting, well-renumerated positions.
Cybersecurity engineer
Cybersecurity engineers build IT architectures and information security systems and protect them from unauthorized access and cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity engineers develop and enforce security plans, standards, protocols, and best practices, and they build emergency plans to get things up and running quickly in case of a disaster. This role requires proactive thinking, planning, and action. A lot of time can be spent finding system vulnerabilities by penetration testing and deciding how to resolve them before they become significant security issues. Cybersecurity engineers may also examine the organization’s regulatory, legal, and technical areas affecting data security.
Cybersecurity engineers have other duties, which include developing and implementing intrusion detection systems and firewalls. They also update security facilities, hardware, and software, evaluate new ones for implementation, and run encryption programs. The engineers deal with detected security issues by moving information or data or working with external professionals to assist the organization in recovering from a data breach. People in this role need very good communication skills to impart complex information to management and explain the best way to apply the latest security plans and procedures. They may also work with law enforcement after an attack.
The cybersecurity engineer position is one of the highest-level careers in cybersecurity. Organizations are in great demand for cybersecurity engineers, which is expected to continue growing. This position requires advanced skills and offers competitive salaries.
Malware analyst
Malware analysts anticipate and identify installations and attacks to protect software systems and data from exploitation by hackers and cybercriminals. When they recognize a security event, they investigate to find all relevant information to fully understand the type of attack and advise on protection actions.
Malware analysts identify and analyze cyber threats, such as worms, viruses, trojans, and bots, to understand exactly what they are. They create malware protection tools and record the methods used to protect against malware threats. Malware is a software developed by cyber criminals and hackers to get unauthorized access to computers, exploit system vulnerabilities, and take valuable data. Malware has become more common and more sophisticated. Malware analysts combine digital forensics, programming, and security engineering to provide the essential function of security intelligence. They are investigators who find threats, diagnose issues, and protect systems. They use analytical skills, methods, and tools to anticipate attacks and research threats and breaches. Their objective is to help organizations defend their systems and devices.
Malware can be complex and hard to identify and remove. Malware analysts examine systems and conduct tests to find malicious software. They record their analysis, including finding malicious lines of code and proposing how to eliminate threats and take preventive action. They develop a plan and create a relevant defense strategy. Malware analysts monitor systems for malware incidents and security events to protect important information. They need effective communication skills to coordinate with users, administrators, and teams.
Malware analysts need high-level investigative and programming skills. They make a valuable contribution to protecting against and mitigating cyber threats. They are becoming an important and rapidly growing role. They need high levels of expertise and are in great demand by employers.
High demand
NIST has established a cybersecurity framework and advises any organization or sector to consider and review it as a tool for managing cybersecurity risks. NIST recommends continuous, real-time monitoring of all electronic resources to fight malicious code and help in early detection.
Cybersecurity has become essential to organizations needing to protect their computer systems. With growing amounts of digital data, cybercrime is predicted to continue growing. Cybersecurity professionals are highly skilled and can apply their knowledge and training to keep systems safe from cyberattacks. Gaining a master’s in cybersecurity can open up employment opportunities and deliver the knowledge and skills required to fulfill a role in this line of business.
Experts in this area are in great demand, and many rewarding and remunerative career opportunities exist. There are numerous specialties within cybersecurity, and professionals in this field can pursue their interests and use their skill sets to find the right role. Working within a specialty can mean developing distinct knowledge and skills that organizations require. With technology evolving continuously, cybersecurity work will offer challenges and continuous learning, making this an interesting and stimulating field.