Businesses and organizations have many different kinds of assets, such as cash, people, equipment, etc. However, one of the most vital assets they have is their electronic data. Moreover, they would want to protect this at all costs, and that’s where the security team comes in.

Each day brings new threats and risks which are entirely different from their predecessors and need to be dealt with accordingly. That’s why we have security analysts who can understand these threats and can help an organization protect its most valuable digital assets.

The cybersecurity analyst role is often the first role cybersecurity professionals start after becoming qualified, it’s considered entry-level, but it’s not without its challenges.

Those looking to build a strong technical understanding that you can build upon as you progress in your career are strongly recommended to start their career path as a cybersecurity analyst.

The role might be considered entry-level, but the responsibilities, tasks, and scope of the work are essential to the business and are unlike any other roles within the business.

We’ve already covered how to become an information security analyst in the rest of this article, so in this section, we’ll closely look at what an information security analyst does.

Duties of a Cybersecurity Analyst

The U.S. Department of Education (DoE) defines the duties of a cybersecurity analyst as the following:

• Planning, implementing, upgrading, or monitoring “security measures for the protection of computer networks and information systems.”
• Ensuring “appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files and vital electronic infrastructure.”
• Responding to “computer security breaches and viruses.”

These tasks will require the cybersecurity analyst to have in-depth knowledge of networks, computers, telecommunications as well as softer skills such as customer service and an excellent understanding of the English language.

Day of a Security Analyst

In a typical day, a cybersecurity analyst might spend time reviewing events and incidents related to potential information security procedure breaches.  Additionally, they could attend meetings discussing future improvements to the business information security posture as well as participating in project deliveries.

Other tasks might involve compiling reports, statistical analysis, liaising with 3^rd party suppliers, or managing customer expectations.

Cybersecurity analysts may utilize several tools during the day, including network monitoring applications, event log monitors, proxies, firewalls, and antivirus applications.  While you might not be expected to be an expert in any one of these, you might need to have a solid understanding of the outputs or how to understand their data and how they work.

You may also need skills within related fields such as application development and risk.

To break it down further, we can divide a security analyst’s work into four areas:

Maintaining Data Security

Security analysts have to understand the whole computer network and system structure of the business.

They have to look at the information security system from various aspects, digging into vulnerabilities or weaknesses. If there are any weak points, they have to take steps to mitigate the associated risk and then keep monitoring the situation.

Moreover, they have to investigate and probe into any potential breach attempts and then try to prevent it from happening again.

They tend to have a deep understanding of how the whole network runs and what dangers it is vulnerable to. They might be tasked with actively testing the network for vulnerabilities.

Improving Security Measures

Not many people realize this, but there are hundreds and thousands of different viruses and malware out there, with more coming every day.

An information security system might be equipped to stop the known viruses. However, it might fail tomorrow in the face of these new threats.

That’s why a security analyst’s job also involves continually improving the information security posture. This might involve updating virus definitions, but it also might involve investigating suspicious behavior that could indicate a compromise.

As the business grows, it requires additional information security measures, and the security analyst analyzes these needs and can come up with measures to mitigate the associated risk.

Training

Most probably, the work of a security analyst will not be a one-person job. Even the smallest of companies will require a couple of people to handle the security of the company. Therefore, an information security analyst will be working with a team.

Within that team, he will often have to conduct training sessions for the other members to teach them about new protocols and procedures. This way, everyone will be on the same page and more efficient in their jobs.

As cybersecurity leaders, we have to create our message of influence because security is a culture and you need the business to take place and be part of that security culture.

Furthermore, an information security analyst will not just have to train people from the cybersecurity department. Instead, sometimes he might even have to train people from other departments as well, improving cybersecurity awareness. This way, every department will be able to better understand cyber risks and take measures to decrease their exposure.

Other Administrative Tasks

A security analyst might have to do some other administrative tasks as well within the company. For instance, he might have to write up reports of any breaches or incidents. He might have to come up with proposals to pitch an idea to the upper management.

Additionally, he might have to document specific steps and measures to establish an emergency protocol.

Creating playbooks, procedures, and processes is likely to be a significant portion of the job.