Around the world, the number of cyberattacks is increasing. Threats such as “ransomware” have the potential to do an incredible amount of damage to a business. This ever-rising threat means businesses and organizations may need help with their cybersecurity.
Since there’s a growing demand for cyber security, you could potentially have a career in this field. If you’re getting started as a cyber security professional or considering starting a cyber security education, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Cybersecurity offers many career options if you have a clean legal background and like to work with computers.
There are many different cyber security jobs, each with specializations and responsibilities. This article lists five potential careers that you could get involved with.
1. Penetration Tester
A penetration tester uses hacking techniques to test the security of an organization. They use all of the same kinds of methods as genuine cyber-criminals. The critical difference is that they do it with the organization’s permission and in a controlled environment.
To get penetration tester jobs in cyber security, you may need a lot of experience in hacking techniques and how they work. You need to get inside a hacker’s head to determine the methods they use to break into a system.
Generally speaking, you could need a certificate or a degree to prove your skills. A certificate shows you’ve got the training, but it also puts potential employers at ease as they’ll see that you’re someone who can be trusted.
You might be hired to work for an organization full-time in some cases. This generally only applies to larger companies. Smaller companies tend to hire penetration testers through a consulting company, or they might hire a freelancer.
2. Security Architect
As a security architect, you may be responsible for building the systems that keep a company safe. For example, you might be responsible for installing anti-malware software on company computers.
You might also be responsible for running various security checks and ensuring all security mechanisms are working correctly. You’ll need to be comfortable working in a high-pressure, complicated environment, and you may also need a computer science degree (or a similar qualification).
You may also need to have experience working in risk management. Security architects are increasingly sought after, so you should have no problems maintaining a career once you start.
3. Malware Analyst
Cybercriminals are constantly producing new malware programs. As a malware analyst, you would be responsible for figuring out how malware works and how people can protect against it.
If you’re someone who has experience evaluating malware, this could be the job for you. Larger organizations frequently targeted by hackers might have a dedicated malware analyst on staff. They might even hire an entire team.
On the other hand, smaller organizations may be more likely to hire consultants or freelancers. As a malware analyst, you may need technical skills and know-how to use tools such as IDA Pro, OllyDbg, and Regshot. You may also need to know programming languages such as C and C+++.
A malware analyst also may need to have excellent communication skills. Part of your job may be to explain how malware works to people who don’t have extensive technical knowledge. Being able to explain complex concepts is essential if you want to succeed in this role.
4. Threat Intelligence Analyst
The best way to tackle security threats is to identify and neutralize them before they can cause any damage to your organization. As a cyber threat intelligence analyst, you may be responsible for identifying potential threats a client might face.
You may need to have extensive knowledge in cyber security, and you may also need to combine those skills with other knowledge. For example, a threat intelligence analyst might use their understanding of geopolitics to identify threats.
Cyber-attacks have become a part of warfare and conflict, and specific organizations might be vulnerable to state-sanctioned hacking.
If you’re interested in this kind of career, you could need to have an extensive background in cybersecurity and business intelligence.
5. Digital Forensics Analyst
This is another one of the great cyber security careers. A digital forensics analyst is someone who tries to gather digital evidence. For example, you might work on restoring data that has been deleted, or you might need to try to gain access to a computer that’s been password protected.
Quite often, a digital forensics analyst will work for law enforcement organizations. This means that you may need to have technical skills; you could also need to know legal procedures and criminal investigations.
Digital evidence is often integral to criminal cases, so you need solid organizational skills. You need to be able to submit evidence within a certain deadline, and you need to be able to handle sensitive material correctly.
Again, you could also need excellent communication skills as a lot of the job communicates technical problems to people who lack technical expertise.
Get Certified and Get These Cyber Security Jobs
The world of cybersecurity is getting more competitive, so if you want to land one of these jobs, you may need to do something to rise above the competition.
Check out InterCoast to find some potentially useful training that you could take advantage of. The right qualifications could open many doors and help you qualify for cyber security jobs.