How to Become a Cybersecurity Specialist

Cybersecurity as an overall industry has a very promising career outlook. It has low unemployment and in fact, many countries have a deficit of employees. The cybersecurity industry is rapidly growing every day.

• According to The US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Information Security Analyst’s Outlook, cybersecurity jobs are among the fastest-growing career areas nationally.

• The BLS predicts cybersecurity jobs will grow 31% through 2029, over seven times faster than the national average job growth of 4%.

Although more resources are being deployed to counter cyber attacks, the nature of the industry still has a long way to go before we can, as a whole, catch up with these threats. This means if you are qualified you can expect to never go unemployed for an extended period of time as a cybersecurity professional.

Read More:

1. What Is Pegasus Spyware – Full Information
2. What Is Algorithm – Full Information

Introduction to Cybersecurity

Computer Security, Cybersecurity, or Information Technology Security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

Cyber Security is a process that’s designed to protect networks and devices from external threats. It is the part of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. It aims to reduce the risk of cyber attacks and protect against the unauthorized exploitation of systems, networks and technologies.

In 2020, the average cost of a data breach was USD 3.86 Million Globally, and USD 8.64 Million in the United States. These costs include the expenses of discovering and responding to the breach, the cost of downtime and lost revenue, and the long-term reputational damage to a business and its brand.

These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information, extorting money from users, or interrupting normal business processes.

Why Is Cybersecurity So Important?

In today’s world, cybersecurity is very important because of some security threats and cyber-attacks. It has been said that data is now more valuable than oil because of the insight and knowledge that can be extracted from it. And it is very easy for cyber criminals to hack your accounts and breach your business once they collect this information. This is why cyber security is so important.

Cybersecurity’s importance is on the rise day by day. Here are some important reasons:-

• Cybersecurity is important because not only it helps to secure information but also our system from virus attack.

• It protects all categories of data from theft and damage. This includes sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), personal information, intellectual property, data, and governmental and industry information systems.

• On a personal level, cyber security attacks can result in identity theft and extortion attempts, which can be fatal to a person’s life.

• To protect sensitive information like social security numbers, credit card information and bank account details etc, which are now being stored in cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive etc.

Today, cyber attacks are no longer stopped by antivirus software or firewalls. The risk of cyber attacks is constantly increasing.  For data protection, many companies nowadays develop software and their own cyber protocols.

Cybercrimes have cost the world $2 trillion so far in 2019, according to recent research. Cybersecurity Ventures predicted in 2017 that damages would hit $6 trillion by 2021, prompting global spending of roughly $10 billion in cyber-security measures by 2027 to protect against these catastrophic losses.

Most Common Types of Cyber Threats

For a cybersecurity expert, the Oxford Dictionary Definition of cyber threat is a little lacking: “The possibility of a malicious attempt to damage or disrupt a computer network or system.” This definition is incomplete without including the attempt to damage or steal data and disrupt digital operations.

Cyber security professionals should have an in-depth understanding of the following types of cyber security threats.

MALWARE:

Malware means Malicious Software. The term “malware” refers to malicious software variants—such as Worms, Viruses, Trojans, Ransomware, Adware, Botnets and spyware—that provide unauthorized access or cause damage to a computer. It is one of the most common cyber threats. Malicious software (malware) installed on a computer can leak personal information, can give control of the system to the attacker and can delete data permanently.

PHISHING:

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.

SQL INJECTION:

An SQL (structured language query) injection is a type of cyber-attack used to take control of and steal data from a database. SQL injection, also known as SQLI, is a common attack vector that uses malicious SQL code for backend database manipulation to access information that was not intended to be displayed.

SPOOFING:

Spoofing is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. Spoofing can apply to emails, phone calls, and websites, or can be more technical, such as a computer spoofing an IP address, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), or Domain Name System (DNS) server.

DENIAL-OF-SERVICE (DoS) ATTACK:

A denial of service (DoS) is a type of cyber attack that floods a computer or network so it can’t respond to requests. A distributed DoS (DDoS) attack does the same thing, but the attack originates from a computer network. DDoS attack uses multiple computers or machines to flood a targeted resource.

MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE (MITM) ATTACK:

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a type of cyber threat where a cybercriminal intercepts communication between two individuals in order to steal data.MITM attacks often occur when a visitor uses an unsecured public Wi-Fi network or any unprotected network system. This can happen in any form of online communication, such as email, web browsing, social media, etc.

Cyber security practices continue to evolve as the internet and digitally dependent operations develop and change. In addition to these, there are many different types of cyber-attacks are happening nowadays.

What Is A Cybersecurity Specialist?

Cyber Security Specialist is responsible for providing security during the development stages of software systems, networks and data centers. This includes all technology that stores, manipulates, or moves data, such as computers, data networks, and all devices connected to or included in networks, such as routers and switches.

Cybersecurity specialists play a key role in securing information systems. It is a major endeavor of the IT industry. The professionals have to search for vulnerabilities and risks in hardware and software, and they also build firewalls into network infrastructures to protect the systems.

What Does A Cybersecurity Engineer Do?

The Cybersecurity Specialist applies their skills to developing and implementing high-tech solutions to defend against hacking, malware and ransomware, insider threats and all types of cybercrime.

Here we are going to discuss some important points:

• Cyber Security engineer or cybersecurity specialist designs and implements secure network solutions designed to defend against hackers, cyber-attacks, and other persistent threats.

• Performing assessments and penetration testing, Architecting and Engineering trusted systems into secure systems.

• Evaluate the organization’s security needs and establish best practices and standards accordingly.

• Designing, maintaining, testing, implementing, and upgrading security networks and systems to protect all sensitive data of an organization.

• Defining protocols and installing and configuring security devices.

• Cyber-security engineers and cybersecurity specialist make up a part of an IT team within an organization, and they work with other departments across an organization to ensure ongoing information security.

The job and responsibilities of a Cybersecurity Engineer are very close to those of a Security Analyst. Generally speaking, security engineers design and implement the security architecture, while security analysts monitor the network and other operations to prevent and detect breaches.

Top Skills You Need to Succeed in Cybersecurity

The first and foremost thing you need is a passion for the field. Candidates seeking cybersecurity specialist roles should have a profound thirst for knowledge and a strong sense of curiosity. The skills you need to be successful in cybersecurity are:-

1. Problem Solving Skill & Coding Knowledge

2. Technical Aptitude

3. Fundamental Computer Forensics Skills

4. Networking & Latest Technology Knowledge

5. Knowledge of Security across Various Platforms

6. Data Management Protection

7. Management, Team Work & Communication Skills

8. Knowledge about Ethical Hacking

9. A Strong Technical Knowledge

10. Ability to Learn Quickly and Adapt Quickly

Top 10 Cyber ​​Security Certification Courses

There are many numbers of online, offline and traditional on-campus programs for cyber security certifications. Most of them focus on network and data protection at different levels. Before you spend your money and time on a certification, it’s important to find one that will give you a competitive advantage in your career.

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

5. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

6. Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

7. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

8. GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

9. Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) 

10. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

Salary Expectations

The national average salary for a Cyber Security Engineer or a Cybersecurity Specialist is $1,01,548 per annum in the United States.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for an Information Security Analyst or a Cyber Security Analyst was approx $104,000 in 2020.

For more information visit: Glassdoor.co.in

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