Are cybersecurity jobs in demand?
In today’s world, data is generated and exchanged at a high speed. Companies all over the world make crucial decisions by analyzing all of this data. With the rise of data, there has been a tremendous increase in cyber crimes across the world. To prevent cyberattacks, cybersecurity is implemented. Cybersecurity is the implementation of protecting programs, computer systems, networks, and their components from unauthorized digital access or cyberattacks. As mentioned earlier, companies rely on data and it is required that the data is not compromised or stolen. To do this job, various cybersecurity professionals are hired who are skilled to protect data from cyber-attacks.
There has been a sky-high growth in the number of cybersecurity jobs. This growth will only double in the near future as companies will always be on the lookout for skilled professionals who can protect the confidentiality of the data. This is the reason why cybersecurity jobs are in great demand. Cybersecurity has a wide range of job roles, and below are some of the top-paying cybersecurity jobs:
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)- Chief Information Security Officer or a CISO is the senior-level cybersecurity officer in any organization, who is entrusted with the safety of the data in an organization. A CISO has a variety of responsibilities. They require to develop, implement and maintain an organization’s security and risk management program. They also communicate with their organization’s stakeholders and brief them about various information-related security concerns. By doing so, they can implement a better security system for an organization. At times, a CISO would also have to recruit IT team members. They need to make sure that the candidate is knowledgeable and skilled. A company’s risk and vulnerabilities have to be predicted. Predictions of such risks and vulnerabilities are taken care of by a CISO as they play a significant role in preventing cyberattacks in any organization. The average salary of a CISO in the USA is approximately 180 thousand US dollars per annum.
Skills required to become a CISO-
The candidate must have good communication and presentation skills
A degree in Computer Science along with an MBA
The candidate must be good at handling security breaches. It is preferred that the candidate has prior experience of handling a security breach and is also good with incident management.
Employers prefer certifications that are globally recognized, such as, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Security Architect- A Security Architect maintains the security of an organization’s computer systems. They prevent the computer systems from malware attacks. A Security Architect identifies weak spots in a system by performing vulnerability tests. These tests are carried out regularly. Along with vulnerabilities tests, risk analysis and security assessments are also performed by a Security Architect. Installation of routers, VPNs, and Firewalls are approved by a Security Architect. These devices are very important when it comes to the security of an information system. A Security Architect rightly approves the installation of these devices. Digital signatures and public key infrastructure are designed in addition to all the above responsibilities, a Security Architect also provides technical assistance and guidance to the other security team members. In the USA, the average salary of a Security Architect is near about 123 thousand dollars per annum.
Skills required to become a Security Architect-
The candidate must have a Computer Science or an Information Technology degree
The candidate must have experience in the field of risk management, as the role of the Security Architect is a lot to do with managing risks
Understanding of the network basics and various security protocols along with cryptography is required
The preferred certification to become a Security Architect is Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP)
Penetration Tester- A Penetration Tester, also known as an Ethical Hacker, is a cybersecurity professional who tries to exploit a security system’s vulnerabilities, just how a hacker would do. A Penetration Tester mimics the role of a hacker. He needs to perform penetration tests to discover and identify vulnerabilities in a system. In addition to this, they are also responsible for designing new penetration tools. All the penetration test results are documented and based on the document, new security measures are discussed with the other IT team and the management. A Penetration Tester performs tests by developing codes and they also conduct security audits which help them understand the vulnerabilities in a system. The average salary of a Penetration Tester in the USA is approximately 117 thousand dollars per annum.
Skills required to be a Penetration Tester-
A candidate must have 1-4 years of experience in the Information Security field
Knowledge of Windows, Linux, UNIX operating systems is required. Also, the candidate must know C and C++
Languages such as Java, PHP, and Perl are preferred by employers
The preferred certification to become a Penetration Tester are Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Expert Penetration Tester (CEPT)
Cybersecurity Engineer- A Cybersecurity Engineer protects an organization’s network and its data. They also plan security measures to prevent an organization from cyberattacks. They design cybersecurity platforms for a company and are also responsible for planning and implementing cybersecurity measures. A Cybersecurity Engineer solely designs, plans, maintains, and implements security measures in an organization. They also require to report and communicate with the other teams in an organization. A Cybersecurity Engineer is different from Network Security Engineer. While a Network Security Engineer looks into troubleshooting, the Cybersecurity Engineer looks into the prevention of cyberattacks. The average salary of a Cybersecurity Engineer in the USA is around 96 thousand dollars per annum.
Skills required to become a Cybersecurity Engineer-
The candidate must have a degree in Computer Science or Information Technology
The candidate should have a minimum of 2 years of experience in the relevant field
A Cybersecurity Engineer is needed to design a security system, hence a candidate with good problem-solving skill is required along with good networking skills
Knowledge of C and C++ is a must, whereas Java and Python knowledge is preferred to be a Cybersecurity Engineer
Malware Analyst- A Malware Analyst is one who identifies various cyber threats such as worms, viruses, trojans, bots to understand their nature. A Malware Analyst is skilled at analyzing the different malware threats in a system. They are responsible to identify threats and once they are identified, they are supposed to document the methods to avoid such malware threats. They also research and develop malware protection tools so that the next time a cyberthreat occurs they are easily able to identify it. In addition to it, a Malware Analyst is also responsible to be constantly updated with the new malware threats. The average salary of a Malware Analyst in the USA is around 85 thousand dollars per annum.
Skills required to become a Malware Analyst-
A candidate must know Windows, Linux, UNIX operating systems, and knowledge of C and C++ is also required
Usage of tools like IDA Pro, OllyDbg, RegShot, and TCP view is suggested
Having a GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) certification is a plus point
Computer Forensic Analyst- A Computer Forensic Analyst works on cases following an attack. They collect digital evidence to retrieve information about the data breaches. With the help of various investigation tools, a Computer Forensic Analyst gathers evidence from a system that was a victim of a cyberattack. Their main responsibility lies in recovering deleted, manipulated, or stolen data. A Computer Forensic Analyst helps various officials in investigating a case by discovering pieces of evidence from data that was manipulated or compromised. There have been a lot of cases where a Computer Forensic Analyst has come to the rescue of the police department. The average salary of a Computer Forensic Analyst in the USA is around 71 thousand dollars per annum.
Skills required to become a Computer Forensic Analyst-
The candidate must have the required work experience along with a Bachelors degree
For the post of Computer Forensic Analyst, the candidate doesn’t need to have a Computer Science Degree but the candidate must have relevant work experience
The candidate must know about networking, law, and criminal investigation as they have to do a lot with investigating cases as well
A sound analytical mind is critical as they have to analyze data and arrive at conclusions as to identify cybercriminals
The preferred certifications to become a Computer Forensic Analyst are Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) and Certified Computer Examiner (CCE)
These above-mentioned jobs are highly in-demand in the cybersecurity field as there has been a tremendous increase in cyberattacks, lately. These cybersecurity jobs are necessary for any organization across the world to keep their systems from any kind of cyber threats, and if there has been a breach in the organization’s systems then, of course, the cybersecurity professionals can help rectify the breaches and prevent future attacks as well.