Cyber Security Jobs

Begin your career in cyber security here.

The demand for Cyber Security professionals has never been higher, and with the prospect of great salaries and plenty of opportunities for growth, there’s a lot to like in a cyber career.
A new Burning Glass study suggests that demand for Cyber Security professionals continues to far outstrip supply, with the trend set to continue for several years. As the demand is high, wages are expected to rise as employers look to secure employees and entice skilled workers to fill roles.

Workers in Cyber Security positions can expect to earn as much as 20% more than their more general IT counterparts in a similar role.

Before you commit to years of study and expense, it’s a good idea to have a solid understanding as to what a career in cyber security en-tales. At the end of the day, it’s a job, and it needs to be something that can hold your interest for years to come.

CYBER SECURITY CAREERS
JOBS

In order to keep things concise and on point we’re going to disregard many roles that straddle both the cyber security world and more general IT world. We’re doing that as many roles, such as Systems Analysts may touch on security, but it may only be a small portion of the role requirements.

Keeping our focus on pure Cyber Security jobs will allow us to focus much better on true cyber roles.

We understand that many Cyber Security professionals got their start in another area of IT, and this might be the career path you take, so it’s worth knowing about these roles in a more general sense. For example, it’s easier to transition from a Network Engineer into a Cyber Security Network Engineer for most of us, although there will be some exceptions out their.

SECURITY SPECIALIST

An entry level role with huge potential and room for growth.

SECURITY ANALYST

Respond to security Alerts and Incidents with precision.

SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR

Keep the Security wheels turning.

SECURITY ENGINEER

Maintain and build key security systems to protect company assets.

SECURITY SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Produce the security products of the future.

VULNERABILITY ASSESSOR

Discover and report on vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

SECURITY MANAGER

Manage teams of security personnel and deliver security services.

SECURITY AUDITOR

Audit system controls and processes ensuring they run efficiently or effectively.

CRYPTOGRAPHER

Develop algorithms, ciphers and security systems to encrypt sensitive information.

INCIDENT RESPONSE

Address and manage the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack.

FORENSICS EXPERT

Use investigation and analysis techniques to gather and preserve evidence.

PENETRATION TESTER

Test systems security using the same techniques as hackers.

SECURITY ARCHITECT

Design and implement systems to bolster security across the organization.

SECURITY CONSULTANT

Security consultants provide solutions to meet their client's needs.

SECURITY DIRECTOR

In charge of overseeing IT security measures throughout an organization.

CISO

Responsible for establishing and maintaining the enterprise vision.

Titles Don't Equal A Job Description

No matter what field you work in, a job title will rarely accurately reflect what your role entails. A Project Officer might carry out the work of an Office Administrator and a Executive Assistant might be delivering projects. The same is true of the Cyber Security field.

As a Cyber Security professional you might have to wear multiple hats at the same time, and your day to day duties might not always closely align with the job description.

When working as a Security Consultant, I’ve been tasked with training staff, putting together proof of concepts, performing user acceptance testing and everything in between. None of which was part of my job description.

To that end we’ve kept out cyber security job descriptions as broad as possible.

This crosses over to our job skill recommendations. Any certifications or skills that we recommend are only their to give you the best chance of succeeding. Obtaining these skills or certifications in no way guarantees a job in that field, and conversely, you may be able to obtain a job without having any of those skills.

Take what you personally think is useful and disregard the rest.

Know What You're Getting Into

The world of cyber security is changing at an incredible rate, and many roles will require you to keep abreast of the latest developments.

Multiple cyber security certifications will require you to keep studying once you’ve acquired them, for example, the CISSP requires a certain amount of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits to be earned every year in order to keep your CISSP in good standing.

Unfortunately, this means that a career in Cyber Security will normally mean a lifetime of learning and studying.

Some employers will empower and pay for this additional studying, while others will expect you to do it in your own time.

If you enjoy learning, then this might be the ideal job. However, if you want to get a degree and then sit back and relax, then cyber security might not be the best choice.

Experience Trumps Everything Else

It’s easy to spot candidates that have a true passion for cyber security. They’re the students with a home lab, that run a cyber security blog, that participate in the community and carry out research for fun.

You don’t need to do all of these things, or even any of these things, but getting your foot in the door when you have real world practical experience is much easier than just attending lectures.

Acquire a Mentor

Getting a break in the cyber security space often comes down to who you know and not necessarily what you know.

If you want to maximize your chances join and participate in cyber security communities in your city, ISACA will have a chapter in most major cities. Alternatively, look for cyber security conferences or meetups.

Attending these sorts of events is a great way of networking and acquiring a mentor who can open doors that would otherwise remain shut.

If doing this sort of thing in person is difficult, then become actively involved in online communities and ask plenty of questions.

Most people are more than happy to answer questions as it gives them an opportunity to look clever.

Reach out to bloggers or people you respect in the industry and ask for their advice.