Cybersecurity Jobs: Opportunities, Skills to Learn, and Learning Resources

The field of cybersecurity is growing due to the urgent need to protect organizations from online attacks and keep their systems, networks, data, and digital assets safe.

According to Gartner , the global cybersecurity market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% and reach USD 170.4 billion by the end of 2022.

That said, more and more businesses are moving online, especially after the coronavirus outbreak. This further expands the attack surface, with organizations that have not implemented cr33rsafe protection mechanisms being most targeted.

All sectors are at risk, and cybersecurity professionals are in high demand to protect an organization’s data, finances, and reputation from online attacks.

As a result, many cybersecurity jobs are currently available at companies of all sizes, from startups to small businesses to large corporations. The cybersecurity field is evolving and there are plenty of opportunities if you have the skills.

This article describes high-paying cybersecurity jobs, where to find them, and how to prepare for them.

cyber security analyst

Businesses need cybersecurity analysts to prevent cyberattacks and protect their data, brand image, assets, and finances. Analysts work with other IT professionals, such as security managers and penetration testers, to mitigate attacks and protect your organization.

What they do : Cybersecurity analysts are responsible for monitoring and enhancing an organization’s cybersecurity efforts. Plan, create, and upgrade security solutions to keep your data, networks, and assets safe.

Therefore, identify vulnerabilities in your security infrastructure and remediate them before attackers can find and compromise them. We also perform external and internal audits, tests, security assessments, and risk analyzes to monitor systems and understand weaknesses that need to be addressed.

Salary : According to a USNews report , cybersecurity analysts earn approximately $75,000 to $128,000 annually.

cyber security administrator

A cybersecurity manager or administrator is a senior-level executive who effectively manages organizational data while ensuring that security measures to mitigate unauthorized access are properly implemented.

What you’ll do: As a Cybersecurity Manager, you’ll help build network environments in the cloud and on-premises to protect employee and customer data. You can also work closely with developers to build systems that accurately validate user identities when accessing your organization’s platforms and applications.

Plus, track vulnerabilities and how to fix them to find out how to protect your company’s data, which is always on the radar of hackers. Therefore, apart from cybersecurity expertise, leadership and strong interpersonal skills are essential if you aspire to become a cybersecurity manager.

Salary : According to Mondo.com ‘s 2019 salary guide, cybersecurity managers earn approximately $125,000 to $215,000.

Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

A chief information security officer (CISO) directs a company’s computer security systems and technology.

What they do: The CISO evaluates processes, implements upgrades, and research ways to achieve better security based on strategy and apply more secure and modern technology. They also manage other team members such as developers, programmers, and testers. Additionally, monitor security and employees and direct your team to follow security and compliance best practices.

Becoming a CISO requires a strong IT background, security management and architecture, leadership and communication skills.

Salary: CISOs are senior-level employees and also the highest-paid professionals. Their salaries range from $108,000 to $276,000 annually, according to PayScale .

security engineer

Security engineers are executives responsible for building and maintaining a company’s IT security systems.

What you’ll do: Plan, implement, and upgrade security systems and networks while ensuring secure data transmission through protected firewalls and applying pre-built security controls. It also monitors and responds to threats such as viruses, malicious threats, and intrusions in real time.

If a breach occurs, security engineers also perform forensic examinations to determine when and how the incident occurred and provide solutions to mitigate similar attacks.

Therefore, if you want to become a security engineer, you should have strong technical knowledge in penetration and vulnerability testing, network protocols, encryption technologies, security system applications, and related subjects.

Salary: According to PayScale , security engineers earn an annual salary of approximately $68,000 to $155,000.

ethical hacker

Ethical hackers are white hat hackers who have great skills and knowledge to protect the security of an organization. They are also called vulnerability analysts or penetration testers.

What you’ll do : Perform critical cybersecurity tasks on a regular basis, including checking and testing networks, systems, and applications for vulnerabilities. The work of an ethical hacker is the exact opposite of harmful or malicious hacking. They perform assessments, uncover the hacker’s logic, and resolve issues before any damage is done.

Organizations grant access to malicious applications and systems in order to replicate the actions and strategies used by attackers. Ethical hackers follow several security protocols, including obtaining security assessments and pre-approval within boundaries to remain legitimate, reporting all vulnerabilities, and respecting data privacy and confidentiality. Masu.

Ethical hackers can also become bug bounty hunters who work freelance for organizations.

Salary : Ethical hacker salaries in the United States range from approximately $90,000 to $115,000 . May vary based on education, additional skills, certifications, and experience. At the same time, bug bounty hunters can earn up to $500,000 a year .

Network/Security Architect

Security architects are innovators who research and plan a company’s security infrastructure. They help design systems based on a company’s specific needs and work with programmers to build the final security structure.

What they do: The responsibilities of a security architect or network architect include preparing security policies, practices, methodologies, user guides, etc. for everyone on the team. Monitor firewalls, virtual networks, web protocols, email security, and more while maintaining server, WAN, and LAN architecture.

If you are considering hiring a network engineer or security engineer, this role will help protect your network from internal and external threats and clean it from vulnerabilities and policy violations. They have software design and coding expertise to streamline your system.

Additionally, if you want to become a security architect, you should have knowledge of security frameworks, standards such as ISO 27001/27002, risk assessment techniques, and perimeter security, and have extensive industry experience. You can also earn your Network Architect certification from various resources such as Udemy.

Salary: Considering security architects’ strong skills, expertise, and responsibilities, they also earn high compensation. They can earn about $87,000 to $189,000 .

security specialist

This may be a good opportunity for beginners. A security specialist is an entry-level or mid-level employee at a company who helps strengthen the company’s cybersecurity.

What you’ll do: Analyze network security requirements, data, and systems, configure and install security solutions, and perform vulnerability testing. You can also train new employees if you have cybersecurity experience.

However, if you are a beginner, knowledge of things like computer networking, coding, ethical hacking, and security information and event management (SIEM) can help you get started.

Salary: Cybersecurity specialists earn approximately $51,000 to $121,000 annually.

cyber security director

Cybersecurity directors, also known as information security directors, develop effective technology and solution strategies and direct other security employees for smooth implementation. Similar to a CISO, a security director is a senior employee.

What they do: Their role is similar to a CIOS, managing and overseeing how aspects of cybersecurity are working within an organization and improving strategies where they fall short. They also establish security policies, implement vulnerability discovery programs for systems and products, and set short- and long-term goals for the organization.

Additionally, security officers can allocate IT resources to security departments, develop end-user and employee security awareness campaigns, and enable rapid enforcement during external incident inspections.

Security officers can also hire security experts, train new employees, and evaluate employee performance. Doing all of these things will ensure your organization is safe and your overall protection and employee productivity strategy is in place.

If you want to become a security director, you need comprehensive cybersecurity expertise and solid leadership and organizational skills.

Salary: Depending on the nature of this job, security director salaries range from $89,000 to $182,000 per year.

cyber security consultant

Cybersecurity consultants use their cybersecurity expertise to advise businesses and help them protect their networks, systems, and data.

What they do: They perform research and analyze networks to find weaknesses and current security status. We use this analysis to consult companies on effective strategies and techniques and recommend tools and solutions to strengthen their cybersecurity.

Additionally, security consultants track current or recent data breaches and attacks and determine solutions to prevent such incidents from happening again.

If you want to become a cyber consultant, you can choose to work independently. But the company that hires you needs to trust you, and to do that, you need to have proven industry expertise, skills, and certifications to add credibility. You also need to stay on top of the latest improvements, updates, and latest technology to help your clients.

Salary: Cyber ​​consultants earn an annual salary of approximately $62,000 to $140,000 .

Cybersecurity Sales Engineer

Security Sales Engineers work closely with sales teams to advise on selling cybersecurity-based services and products.

What you do: This role is different from other cybersecurity roles, which involve protecting your organization from attacks. Security Sales Engineers participate in the cybersecurity product sales process by conducting technical assessments of customers’ IT infrastructure, determining cybersecurity requirements, and recommending appropriate solutions.

They combine sales skills and technical knowledge to explain in detail the functional and technical aspects of services and products. As a result, you can be prepared for any technical issues that may arise at any time, or questions that arise unexpectedly regarding your products or services.

There are many different types of this role, including sales engineers in network security, enterprise security, post-sales, pre-sales, sales enablement, cloud security, and more.

Salary: Sales is one of the most sought-after skills in today’s world, so being a sales engineer can earn you a pretty good salary. This will range from $103,000 to $141,000 per year.

In addition to these 10 types of cybersecurity jobs, there are also incident managers, security device developers, risk auditors, risk managers, malware analysts, intrusion detection specialists, incident responders, cryptographers, cloud security engineers, forensic engineers, and more. Various roles are also available.

How can I learn cybersecurity?

If you want to build a career in cybersecurity, you need to learn skills and gain knowledge in this field. To that end, here are some places online to learn cybersecurity concepts.

Coursera

Coursera is one of the best places to find great courses and tutorials on a variety of subjects, including cybersecurity. We offer specializations and courses to teach information security, network security, cybersecurity, and more.

There are many courses available to help you master demanding skills such as cryptography and access control risk management to help you stand out from the crowd and land a well-paying cybersecurity job. The best part is that we collaborate with top universities in the world to offer this course.

The instructors and teaching methods are all excellent, and you can benefit from them 100% online, no matter where you are. Popular cybersecurity certification courses include:

• IBM’s Cyber ​​Threat Intelligence (for beginners)
• IBM Cybersecurity Analyst by IBM
• IT Security: Google’s defense against the digital dark arts
• Security Analyst Fundamentals by IBM
• IT Fundamentals for Cybersecurity by IBM
• Computer Security and Systems Management by the University of Colorado System
• Cybersecurity for Business from the University of Colorado System
• ISC System Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Udemy

Udemy is also a trendy online learning website to find great courses on cybersecurity. There are courses for everyone from beginners to advanced players, and they are available at wallet-friendly prices.

Additionally, you can see the number of students enrolled in the course, ratings, instructor’s name, supported languages, and more.

Includes a description of each course, what you can learn, supported operating systems to practice on, and who you can learn from. You can also check the reviews of many learners who have already taken this course and decide whether it is helpful to you or not.

Some of Udemy’s most popular cybersecurity courses include:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Cybersecurity 2021 – Part 1 is aimed at beginners and has been rated 4.6/5 by over 197,000 learners. Learn security concepts such as hacking, firewalls, malware, worms, encryption, phishing, BYOD, biometrics, and more.
• The Beginner’s Guide to Cybersecurity 2021 – Part 2 is also aimed at beginners and has been rated 4.7/5 by over 4.3 million learners.
• The Complete Cyber ​​Security Course: Exposing the Hackers!: A bestseller with a 4.5/ rating from over 37,700 learners. Learn how to prevent hacking and understand IT security and INFOSEC.
• Complete Cyber ​​Security Course: Network Security!: Also a bestseller with a 4.5/ rating from over 117,000 learners. Learn about network security, Wi-Fi hackers, Wi-Fi security, Wireshark, firewalls, password managers, and secure networking.
• Risk Management for Cybersecurity and IT Administrators : This bestseller has been rated 4.5/5 by over 7,000 learners. Learn how to make risk management decisions in cybersecurity and IT.

Judas City

Advance your career in the exciting field of cybersecurity with Udacity’s impressive selection of courses. By taking lessons, you can get a good job, protect your organization from attacks, and protect your family and friends from hackers.

Unlike other programs available, we offer a variety of cybersecurity programs, courses, and certificates that focus on practical skills rather than theory. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can find a program for any skill level. Gain hands-on experience with real-world applications.

Udacity has several nano degree programs that you can consider based on your skill set, including:

• Introduction to Cybersecurity for Beginners: Helps you learn the fundamentals of the growing field of cybersecurity, including how to assess, monitor, and maintain the security of computer systems.
• Security Analyst (Intermediate Level): Learn how to discover, respond to, and remediate security vulnerabilities and incidents. Gain hands-on experience analyzing alerts, coaching networks, logging data, handling incident response, and more.
• Security Engineer (Intermediate Level): Master how to plan, build, and protect networks and systems from threats.
• Ethical Hacker (Expert Level): Use this program to learn how to find and exploit vulnerabilities in your systems, design and implement a penetration testing plan, report test results, and more.

All of these programs include hands-on projects and allow you to learn at your own pace.

Cybrary

Develop your cybersecurity skills and enhance your career with Cybrary . These will help you learn the concepts, tools, and techniques you need to protect your systems and data using the latest technologies and best practices in the cybersecurity field.

Cybrary’s expert instructors thoroughly teach concepts like digital forensics and ethical hacking to prepare you for industry certifications. This way, you can become a certified cybersecurity professional and land your dream job.

Cybrary’s courses come with a fast-moving catalog, include hands-on learning, and give you the option to learn at your own speed. We have courses for beginner, intermediate, and expert levels, including:

• Become a SOC Analyst – Level 1 : This entry-level course takes 94 hours and 42 minutes to complete.
• Introduction to IT and Cybersecurity : For beginners, duration is 1 hour 41 minutes and includes a certificate of completion.
• Information Security Fundamentals : This beginner’s course takes 7 hours and 9 minutes.
• Become a SOC Analyst – Level 2 : Advanced level and takes 58 hours and 52 minutes.
• Become an Incident Handler : This advanced level course is 15 hours and 32 minutes.

Apart from these, you can find cybersecurity courses on KhanAcademy, OpenSecurityTraining, StackSkills, LinkedIn Learning, and edX.

Where can I find cybersecurity jobs?

So, if you are looking for a job in cybersecurity, here are some websites you can visit to find opportunities.

#1. LinkedIn : Don’t believe that LinkedIn is just a professional networking site. It can be a treasure trove for finding a job. You can view jobs listed on LinkedIn and apply directly from there by filling out a form or following a process directed by a recruiter. The best part is that you can connect with potential recruiters and contact them directly.

#2 . Indeed : Given the adjustments of the post-pandemic world, you can find a variety of jobs in a variety of industries, including remote, on Indeed. You can instantly check job details, employment information, salary information, etc.

#3 . CareerBuilder : One of the largest job portals with millions of jobs and candidates. You can also download the app to stay up to date with job openings. You can also look for recommended skills to determine if you are qualified for the job.

#4 . Google for Jobs : This Google product is also a great search engine for finding jobs. We have worldwide listings with data such as company name, location, job title, and posting date.

#5 . Glassdoor: Glassdoor displays job postings and related information, as well as company reviews from anonymous users. It helps you understand your employer before you join.
Other job portals you can try include Monster, LinkUp, Dice, FlexJobs, SimplyHired, ZipRecruiter, Job2Careers, and Nextxt.

Conclusion👩‍💻

Cybersecurity is a lucrative field, and there are many hats you can wear as a cybersecurity professional. Use the information above to learn what cybersecurity jobs are available and where to find them, learn cybersecurity concepts, or take courses to improve your skills.