How to make your career in Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Overview
Cybersecurity, also sometimes also known as information security, is the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, devices, programs, and data from unauthorized access, cyber (online) attacks, damage, theft, and other potential threats. While information security deals with all forms of assets, cybersecurity specifically deals with protecting those assets which helps to enable business digitally on cyber. It encompasses a wide range of measures and strategies designed to safeguard digital assets and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
The Cybersecurity Skill Workforce Gap
We need people for to do this for enterprises, isn’t it?
Yes off-course, cybersecurity is in huge demand and as per (ISC)2 Workforce and Skills Gaps report 2023 (snip below) to indicate that the cybersecurity skill gap is not going to fill so soon. Though due to global recession time, the cybersecurity sourcing has not been immune, the demand always persists, and this is one of the most promising careers for your future.
Who should join Cybersecurity?
Now that you understood the long-term perspective and the opportunities into the cybersecurity space, let me caution you!
Cybersecurity is ONLY for those who are passionate about this profession. There is a lot a cybersecurity professional must do on a day-to-day basis. This includes tirelessly identifying security weaknesses and mitigate those to protect business. The more valuable question is, how is this done? Cybersecurity professionals uses numerous strategies to protect the digital assets which may start from a Risk analysis, to implementing the security program, ensure it is run in the most efficient manner and see for any deviations through its detection and response mechanism.
The legal aspect of Cybersecurity!
Cybersecurity is closely associated with legal and regulatory requirements. There are a lot of requirements which a cybersecurity professional must take care of, which includes.
- Global cybercrime laws and regulations
- Privacy regulations and legal jurisdictions
- Import export regulation as per groundbreaking Wassenaar agreement.
- Intellectual property protection and secure usage
- Data sovereignty and data localization requirements
- Investigation related requirements like eDiscovery and legal holds.
This means that there are opportunities for aspirants also who are from a techno-legal background, apart from normal workforce. Please understand, Cybersecurity is not always technical and there are various roles in cybersecurity where we need skilled people for non-technical aspect of cybersecurity.
A sneak-peak in the world of cybersecurity
Cybersecurity professionals can achieve all these requirements through a structured approach. The leadership plays the most important part, and they are accountable for security. Cybersecurity is a top-down approach which means proper support and funding must be provided by the leadership to run the entire program. In almost 50% of the companies the security culture from the leadership does not align with these principles. Through there is no guarantee of protection against breach in this hostile threat landscape, those companies who does not follow the structured approach are often more likely to be breached.
Cybersecurity professionals follow a data centric and risk centric approach which means that all action by them is to protect valuable business information and protection should be based on the value of data and asset to the organization. Hey, what’s that? Is cybersecurity not a equal distribution approach? Yes, you guessed it right, it’s not! 😊 Let me explain,
Investments and budgets for Cybersecurity is limited and if you go with an equal-distribution approach, for some of the assets you need to have more controls, you may have less as the funds are spent for all assets even if they are not so valuable for the company. That’s the reason why we must prioritize investment in cybersecurity for those assets which are more valuable and if those assets are compromised, disrupted, or damaged, will be higher risk for the company.
Career opportunities in Cybersecurity
As we are talking about the cyber warriors, they may have distinct roles which may include Security analysist, Security Engineers, security architects, Information security risk analysts and so on, let understand few of these roles.
Cybersecurity Architect: This group is specifically focused towards ensuring that the security is inbuilt in all the enterprise-wide infrastructure and processes.
Cybersecurity analyst: This is often a common term used for a variety of roles, while they may be deployed in monitoring the network, analyzing security data, implementing cybersecurity controls they broader term used for this group is Cybersecurity analyst. In few enterprises we also refer to as Cybersecurity Engineers.
Cybersecurity Risk Analyst: this workforce keeps looking for risks in the enterprise infrastructure, system, applications, and even third-party engagements, once they identity the risk, they analyze and report to the management for appropriate risk mitigation guidance and follow-ups.
GRC Analyst: This role pertains to activities related to Governance, Risk and Compliance. It’s a mammoth task to meet all compliance requirements and mitigate risk through a well-structured governance process, and you can play a vital role in this initiative.
Security Managers: He or she is an experienced cybersecurity professional who can manager other cybersecurity professional to keep them aligned with the overall objective and manage them effectively for resource optimization. Cybersecurity is sometimes an incredibly stressful engagement; we need people who are highly organized and remain cool amid such situations to ensure effective decision making.
These are only few roles in cyber security, the opportunity for career making is immense.
Salaries in Cybersecurity
To be very fair, the salary for cybersecurity professionals varies depending on their experience, skills, and location. However, cybersecurity professionals typically earn a higher salary than other IT professionals. According to a recent survey, the average salary for a cybersecurity professional is a whopping $110,000. Now it is huge, however this may vary based on your skill, location, and the type of role.
How to get into Cybersecurity?
Okay, so you would ask me, Manoj, how am I supposed to study Cybersecurity? And my answer as always will be – acquire Cybersecurity skills. Even if you might not be very technical or expert in programming, you can still make career in cybersecurity, and we need a lot of such guys.
Acquiring Cybersecurity skills
To be honest, acquiring Cybersecurity skills are not that hard as it looks. My recommendation will be that you should look out for few good Cybersecurity certifications based on your areas of interest.
Best Cybersecurity Certifications in 2024 for Freshers
- Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) by (ISC)2
- CompTIA Security+
- GIAC Security Essential Certification (GSEC)
- Offensive Security Certified Professional
- CompTIA PenTest+
Best Cybersecurity Certifications in 2024 for Middle and higher management roles
If you already have some experience under your belt, the following certifications will be the best choice for you.
(ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Expert BEST certification, make a brand in cybersecurity.
We provide the best end-to-end CISSP Exam preparation
(ISACA) Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Expert Great certification, make a brand in cybersecurity as a manager.
We provide the best end-to-end CISM Exam preparation
ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)Expert Great certification for auditors, make a brand in cybersecurity as an Auditor.
We provide the best end-to-end CISA Exam preparation
(ISC)² Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
Intermediate Level and excellent for entering in Cybersecurity.
We provide the best end-to-end SSCP Exam preparation
Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)Intermediate Excellent certification for pen testing and red team role
Conclusion
You can achieve these certifications through self-study, however, if you need an end-to-end mentorship, you may need an enthusiastic coach who can take you through this journey smoothly. A mentor can also guide you beyond achieving these certification’s and provide you a strategic roadmap to build you career in cybersecurity. If you are still confused and need an expert guidance on Cybersecurity Career, you are reach out to me through my FREE mentoring Sessions and webinars. Feel free to contact me through my LinkedIn account. One of our flagship programs is CISSP Online Training where we prepare you to crack your CISSP Exam in the first attempt.