With the world turning virtual, cyberattacks are regularly flooding news headlines. Covid 19 accelerated the current digital transformation, and the year 2020 witnessed several data breaches. Since technology has currently become more intertwined with your daily life, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals is increasing. This tutorial on the cyber security career path will brief you about the lucrative career of cyber security and its top job roles.
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Prerequisites for a Cyber Security Career
There is a notable lack of skilled cybersecurity professionals who can tackle daily cybersecurity challenges. Hence, a career in cybersecurity is demanding and equally rewarding. Several companies are looking for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Philips, Siemens, Google, Microsoft, and GE, to name a few.
- There are definitely a handful of prerequisites for a career in cybersecurity. The basic one is a bachelor's degree in a technical domain. However, if you don't have a relevant degree, you can always take up relevant cybersecurity certifications and kick-start your cybersecurity journey.
- A few other skills like networking and knowledge of operating systems are required to start and grow your cybersecurity career.
Cybersecurity jobs vary from entry-level to executive management and everything in between. There are several cyber security career paths available today. It is best to start with entry-level and then move on to the next level with the help of relevant experience and certifications.
Before you look at the different job roles in the cyber security career path, understand the essential skills required to grow your career in cyber security.
Get the Skills to Ace a Cybersecurity Interview
Advanced Executive Program in CybersecurityExplore ProgramCyber Security Skills
- To become a cybersecurity expert, you should understand firewalls, VPN, Web-proxy, and IDS/IPS.
- You need to be proficient with coding languages such as Java, Python, HTML, and PHP.
- You should have an excellent knowledge of networking, routing protocols, and encryption techniques.
- A cybersecurity practitioner should know the best practices for Identity and Access Management (IAM).
- Cybersecurity professionals need to know SQL and Database management systems and possess problem-solving skills.
This tutorial will now take you through the top 5 cybersecurity job roles today:
1. Network Engineer Job Role
- Network engineers construct a company's computer networks. They install, configure, and support network equipment.
- They also configure firewalls, switches, and routers. This entry-level cyber security job can also help you start your journey to become an Ethical Hacker.
- According to Glassdoor, the annual average salary of a network engineer in the US is $85,098, and in India, it is around ₹5,10,000.
2. Information Security Analyst Job Role
- As an information security analyst, your main duty is to protect sensitive information. Information security analysts formulate and execute plans for stopping cyber attacks.
- They ensure compliance with policies. Depending on the cyber threat, they decide if it must be resolved or escalated further.
- According to Indeed, an information security analyst earns $89,140 annually in the US, and in India, they earn ₹6,42,000.
3. Ethical Hacker Job Role
- Ethical Hackers are also called penetration testers. They are network security consultants who identify and exploit system vulnerabilities just like a hacker.
- They test the network using various software and penetration tools. They also design new penetration tools and document the test results.
- According to Payscale, a certified ethical hacker earns around $93,000 on an annual average basis in the US, and in India, they make about ₹5,00,000 rupees.
4. Security Architect Job Role
- Security architects research and propose the security elements for their organizations. They design robust security structures that are capable of preventing malware attacks.
- A security architect approves the installation of routers, VPN, and firewalls. They formulate company procedures, guidelines, and user guides.
- According to Payscale, security architects in the US make a handsome sum of
$124,000 a year on average, and in India, they make nearly ₹21,80,000.
Have 6 Months? Launch a Cybersecurity Career
Advanced Executive Program in CybersecurityExplore Program5. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Job Role
- They are senior-level officers in an organization. They ensure the information's safety and develop, implement, and maintain information security and risk management programs.
- Additionally, they interact with stakeholders and regularly brief them with information security concerns.
- According to Payscale, the average annual salary of a Chief Information Security Officer in the states is a whopping $165,000 annually, and in India, it is ₹22,22,845.
Now that you understand the different career paths of cyber security you will see how Simplilearn can help you in your cyber security journey.
How Can Simplilearn Help You?
With passion, the right amount of experience, and relevant certifications, you can grow your cybersecurity career. You can check out Simplilearn's Cyber Security Expert Master's Program to equip you with the necessary skills to become an expert in this rapidly growing domain. This course will help you learn various methods to protect your infrastructure, secure your data, run risk analysis, achieve compliance, etc.
It doesn't have any academic pre-requirements, and the introductory module will prepare beginners for the course ahead. Training for highly sought-after certifications like CompTIA Security+, CEH, CISM, and CISSP is at the forefront of this course, preparing you for the industry's best jobs.
Conclusion
Through this tutorial on the cyber security career path, you have understood the importance of cyber security in today's times, prerequisites for a career in cyber security, and the top five cybersecurity job roles today.
Do you have any questions regarding this tutorial on the cyber security career path? If yes, please feel free to ask in the comments section, and we will be happy to answer them.
