Cybersecurity Specialist Career Path Job Description & Salary

Learn from the experiences of more than 550 organizations that were hit by a data breach. Proactive threat hunting, continuous monitoring and a deep investigation of threats are just a few of the priorities facing an already busy IT department. Having a trusted incident response team on standby can reduce your response time, minimize the impact of a cyberattack, and help you recover faster. The QRadar portfolio is embedded with enterprise-grade AI and offers integrated products for endpoint security, log management, SIEM and SOAR—all with a common user interface, shared insights and connected workflows.

It also helps anyone looking for a job in security to identify the roles for which they are best suited. As the term suggests, digital or computer forensics involves retroactively investigating confirmed security incidents, such as data breaches. Digital forensic engineers -- also known by titles such as cyber forensic investigators and computer forensic analysts -- seek to uncover and understand the scope of attacks, who perpetrated them and how. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what working as a cybersecurity analyst is like, why you might choose to pursue a career in cybersecurity, and how to get started in this in-demand field. Afterward, if you'd like to start working towards a career as a cybersecurity analyst, you might also consider enrolling in Microsoft's Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate.

Is cybersecurity analytics hard?‎

Most users are familiar with bulk phishing scams—mass-mailed fraudulent messages that appear to be from a large and trusted brand, asking recipients to reset their passwords or reenter credit card information. But more sophisticated phishing scams, such as spear phishing and business email compromise (BEC), cybersecurity specialist program target specific individuals or groups to steal especially valuable data or large sums of money. A strong cybersecurity strategy protects all relevant IT infrastructure layers or domains against cyberthreats and cybercrime. Here are the requirements and skills you need to pursue a cybersecurity career.

• Cybersecurity refers to any technology, measure or practice for preventing cyberattacks or mitigating their impact.
• Certifications like ITF+, CompTIA A+ and Network+ give you the background you need if you don’t already have it, and CompTIA Security+ is recommended to begin your career as a Cybersecurity Professional.
• As a result, they perform many of the same duties as cybersecurity analysts – and sometimes are called the same thing – but typically focus more on system protection rather than data protection.
• Insider threats are threats that originate with authorized users—employees, contractors, business partners—who intentionally or accidentally misuse their legitimate access, or have their accounts hijacked by cybercriminals.

The field of cybersecurity has its own set of jargon, tools, and best practices. It can help to get an overview of it all by taking some introductory courses in cybersecurity. While it’s totally possible to teach yourself through books, blogs, podcasts, and other resources, you may find a course helpful in giving structure and context to what you’re learning.

Caltech Cybersecurity Bootcamp

We are looking for a Cybersecurity Analyst to join our team to protect our organization from cyberattacks by monitoring our systems and evaluating threats as they arise. SIEM (security information and event management) is software that helps organizations recognize and address potential security threats and vulnerabilities before they can disrupt business operations. Attack surface management (ASM) is the continuous discovery, analysis, remediation and monitoring of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors that make up an organization’s attack surface.

Here’s a sample of specific cybersecurity job descriptions savvy professionals can take when they want to branch out and move on. A cybersecurity specialist is an expert in the field of information technology security. The position entails protecting all digital assets and their users, ensuring that networks are safe from external threats such as hackers or crackers who try to gain access for malicious purposes. Cybersecurity analysts are responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring, and maintaining an organization’s data and information. As a cybersecurity analyst, you’ll be tasked with identifying vulnerabilities within systems, resolving them, and then responding to cybersecurity breaches, such as hacking, when they occur. Information security and cybersecurity overlap, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

cybersecurity roles to consider

Now that you have a cybersecurity job description and requirements as a reference point, you may wonder how you become a cybersecurity professional. Cybersecurity specialists work with other security professionals, including cybersecurity architects and engineers, to ensure that an organization’s actual system remains as secure as possible. In effect, their work ensures the protection of all users within an entire network, whether they be its employees or clients. The BLS notes the median annual salary for information security analysts is $112,000 per year [1]. While many digital forensic engineer, analyst and investigator roles require significant experience, related entry-level positions do exist.

A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for data security for any data stored on computers, hard drives, or the internet. An information security analyst would also consider the security of data stored elsewhere, like documents in a filing cabinet or insider knowledge possessed by some employees. Cybersecurity analysts need to understand the latest cyber threat landscape, as well as their company’s IT infrastructure. Network security prevents unauthorized access to network resources, and detects and stops cyberattacks and network security breaches in progress. At the same time, network security helps ensure that authorized users have secure and timely access to the network resources they need.

Post this Cybersecurity Analyst job to over 200 job boards at once.

Regardless of seniority, a SOC analyst needs an eye for detail, the ability to troubleshoot and an interest in threat research. While earning a degree isn’t strictly necessary to get a job, earning one could mean more job opportunities and a more competitive resume.

Typically, these technologies are used as part of a formal incident response plan. As you can infer from the cybersecurity job description, the position demands that candidates possess the right skills and satisfy the appropriate requirements before assuming the role of a cybersecurity expert. Here’s a sample of cybersecurity roles and responsibilities that a professional in this field can expect to handle. Cybersecurity is an exciting and increasingly important field with a wealth of career opportunities.

Security operations center analyst

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact... IBM's Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks course describes key cybersecurity concepts, best practices, and tools. Use this Cyber Security Specialist job description to advertise your vacancies and find qualified candidates. Know the threat to beat the threat—get actionable insights that help you understand how threat actors are waging attacks, and how to proactively protect your organization. Be better prepared for breaches by understanding their causes and the factors that increase or reduce costs.

Cybersecurity specialists are responsible for protecting an organization’s computer systems and networks. As a result, they perform many of the same duties as cybersecurity analysts – and sometimes are called the same thing – but typically focus more on system protection rather than data protection. As a cybersecurity specialist, consequently, you’ll be most often tasked with conducting vulnerability scans to uncover and resolve vulnerabilities in data centers, networks, and software systems. Cybersecurity analysts protect computer networks from cyberattacks and unauthorized access. They do this by trying to anticipate and defend against cyber threats, and responding to security breaches when they do happen.

Want to generate a unique job description?

Information security, a broader cybersecurity-related category, concerns protecting all data and information assets, whether in hard copy or digital form. For security architects who are managers -- leading teams of security engineers -- people and communication skills are also important. Today's network security engineers may manage infrastructure in traditional on-premises, cloud or hybrid environments. As an aspiring or current practitioner weighing possible career options, consider the following eight cybersecurity roles.