How to Become a Cybersecurity Specialist A Career Guide

The CCNA Cyber Ops certification program provides practical, relevant, and job-ready curricula that aligns closely with the specific tasks expected of cybersecurity professionals. However, the qualifications required for a cybersecurity job can vary from employer to employer. There are numerous opportunities for highly technical roles, like cybersecurity specialists and developers, at cybersecurity companies. Many large corporations are also setting up their own cybersecurity taskforces and are increasingly hiring cybersecurity specialists. Among the many cybersecurity jobs that companies are hiring for across all industries is the position of cybersecurity specialist. Like many roles within the wide-ranging, fast-growing field of cybersecurity, the responsibilities of the cybersecurity specialist can vary greatly depending on the company or organization and its specific needs. As you might expect, security specialists require extensive technical skills and knowledge to effectively do their jobs.

  • If you are involved in the full Project lifecycle then you may be involved in the testing and implementation of new solutions regarding your organisations IT Security.
  • This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of information security analysts.
  • That often means that continuing education is required — both in the form of formal, industry-recognized certifications — and in the form of informal learning and tracking industry developments.
  • Major job requirements can widely vary among employers and you might miss the opportunity to build up your work experience and knowledge before making the leap towards a senior or management position.

The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile. The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field. Cybersecurity organizations are a great way for those in the industry to keep up with current happenings, collaborate with like-minded individuals and more.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Simply put, cybersecurity is the act of shielding networks, programs, and systems from digital attacks. Digital attacks, also known as information technology attacks, aim to change, access and destroy sensitive data. While this information security specialist job description sample provides a good jumping off point, you may still have questions and concerns. Also consider these general tips to help ensure that you job description has all the necessary information, as well as being well-written and informative. The hallmarks of a good job description is that it is clear and concise, and that it strives to answer the candidates most important questions about the position before they need to be asked. A great job description is a hand tool for attracting top talent, while a job description that is vague or hard to read may frighten off the candidates that you most want to attract.

Experience with implementing and maintain detection systems, firewalls, and prevention systems. Enhance your Moraine Valley experience by engaging in our vibrant campus community. Learning continues outside of the classroom when you join a club or organization, connect with classmates and explore your world. Save thousands of dollars on your college education by enrolling at Moraine Valley. The college strives to keep tuition, fees and textbooks affordable while also offering numerous scholarships. You may be expected to supervise changes to live environments, with responsibility for IT security. You may also have a role in ensuring your organisation conforms to any new standards.

Featured Programs

With the right level of experience and skills, they can advance to director and analyst positions. Hard or technical skills are necessary to perform the duties of a cybersecurity specialist. In contrast, soft https://remotemode.net/ skills like leadership ability can help professionals grow in the field. The type of jobs you pursue plays a considerable role in determining the certificate or combination of certificates best for you.

A CISSP credential demonstrates to employers that the holder can create, implement and monitor a cybersecurity program. Graduate degrees can be required if you’re looking to obtain a managerial position. An employer might offer training in the form of familiarizing you with specific software or hardware the company uses. You might receive job training if the employer has several bodyguards or a personal security team.

Information Security Officer Benelux

Technical reports and formal papers may need to be written relating to any test findings that you may make. Penetration and vulnerability testing of the live or production environment on a regular basis will probably be necessary in order to maintain a secure environment as new threats and exploits emerge. You may be expected to provide production support to all live environments. You will be using your knowledge of IT security, authentication, session and communication protocols and general awareness of the environments at your organisation to get your job done.

They are responsible for making sure that networks and computer systems are up-to-date and not vulnerable to software bugs. A simple way of thinking about a cybersecurity specialist is as someone who keeps tabs on a company’s or organization’s security while also helping other employees and teammates stay current on best practices. Most entry-level IT security jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in cyber security, information assurance, or a related field of study; these programs typically take 4 years to complete as a full-time student.

Similar Occupations About this section

When your time with that person is over, you’ll move onto the next customer your firm assigns to you. In this role, you’d be hired on to guard such settings as business complexes, shopping malls, high-rise apartment buildings, or schools. If you’re overseeing larger properties, you might have access to more technology and a bigger team of guards. Pay attention to the most significant factors that determine how much you will be earning in a particular position. The good news is that IT professionals, in general, earn twice as much as the national median wage in the US.

Apart from money, some other motives for cybercrimes include ethical, social, and political incentives. Some of these methods include ransomware, malware, and social engineering. Coordinate with other departments to promote awareness and training on security protocols. While a security expert will likely have a high income regardless of the industry type they’re in, they’re more likely to earn more in any of those fields. Security architects are in charge of the security budget, staff, and other resources. They manage IT security teams and write up detailed reports for the leadership.

Checking if the site connection is secure

Employers may prefer to hire analysts who have professional certification. We are searching for a talented computer security specialist to safeguard our company data. You will be responsible for analyzing our IT specifications and overall security risk, implementing appropriate security measures, and responding to security breaches. While there are a number of other skills that can help in a career in cyber security, these skills are the key to protecting your network resources and security.

it security specialist

There’s also the option to go the extra mile and attain a master’s degree in categories such as information technology management. Choosing a reputable online degree program can make earning your bachelor’s or master’s more accessible by granting you freedom and flexibility in managing your course load. IT security specialists defend an organization’s data and information systems. Computer security specialists are IT professionals who use their skills to prevent cyber attacks on corporate information systems.

The median annual wage for information security analysts was $102,600 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,520, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $165,920. About 19,500 openings for information security analysts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

  • Controlling all aspects of cybersecurity for an organization involves the expertise of many trained professionals.
  • Cybersecurity specialists work on IT teams that are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the business’s network and data.
  • With the right level of experience and skills, they can advance to director and analyst positions.