Cybersecurity Career Guide
The future of crime is digital. For organizations of all sizes and across all industries, internal and external communications, user and staff data, and, above all, proprietary information have become some of the most valued assets. Because of their increasing importance, these assets have also begun to receive the most protection from cyber threats. The fear of hacks, breaches, leaks, and other attacks have motivated companies across the world to adopt innovative cybersecurity measures to keep data and other information safe.
As a result, career opportunities in cybersecurity have begun to dominate professional landscapes in practically every sector. In this guide, we introduce the leading careers in cybersecurity that recruiters across the world have begun to increasingly and competitively search for.
- Cryptographer
- Cyber Forensics Expert
- Information Security Analyst
- Security Software Developer
- Security Manager
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Incident Responder
Cryptographer
According to David Tishgart writing for Wired, one of the biggest myths in data security is that encrypting data makes it secure. On the contrary, encrypted data can be just as vulnerable as unencrypted data through one key feature: the cipher. Too often, Tishgart writes, do companies poorly manage their encryption practices — and the keys that solve them. This practice can be dangerous for companies aiming to keep their more delicate and proprietary information guarded. Fortunately, cryptographers can be seen as cipher or key managers to improve data encryption practices, which ultimately enforces stronger data protection.
Cryptographers are vital for keeping the infrastructure of the internet safe and secure for data exchanges. Cryptographers work for orgranizations across industries to ensure that different encryption practices are able to keep user data protected. An interdisciplinary career path, cryptographers must balance a variety of hard technical skills in programming, IT, and network security with soft skills that involve communication with non-technical audiences, team collaboration, and [blank].
Centrally, cryptographers demonstrate their value around encryption algorithms. From developing ciphers that determine the rules of encryption to cracking ciphers to identify stronger protections, cryptographers are responsible for protecting the exchange of data on the internet. These exchanges cover emails, server maintenance, online shopping and ecommerce, and practically every time data is scraped, sent, or received.
The threat of data leaks or breaches has become more severe in recent years. As major companies in banking, social media, technology, and healthcare have become prey to hackers, cryptographer positions have increased in importance. The work that cryptographers perform is viewed by companies as a proactive measure to prepare for any kind of attack on sensitive data or information.
Importantly, cryptographers must be expected to juggle several projects at once to ensure different sides of a company’s data remain secure. Specifically, on a day-to-day basis they must:
- Create and continuously edit refined cipher programs to encrypt data
- Build security frameworks in programming languages that include C, C++, C#, Java, Javascript, Python, PHP, .NET, and Ruby
- Develop innovative algorithms that push encryption practices forward
- Plan, execute, and reflect on cryptographic tests to improve security infrastructure
- Work with private and public keys to develop advanced cipher algorithms and techniques
- Collaborate with other team members to develop and maintain data encryption best practices
Cryptographers have become increasingly valuable to organizations across industries. As the need to protect data has certainly become more severe, companies are willing to pay top-dollar for code breakers and encryption specialists. According to Payscale, cryptographers earn an average yearly salary of approximately $102,000. Moreover, cryptographers work in private and public sectors, in organizations as large as the United States Department of Defense, Apple, Microsoft, and Google. With all of the advanced technical knowledge that cryptographers must develop, most enter into these positions with either a bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
Cyber Forensics Expert
While the work that cryptographers perform can be seen as a proactive data security measure, cyber forensics experts enter reactively to discover what vulnerabilities led to a breach, leak, hack, or any scenario where protected data was compromised. Cyber forensics analysts and experts investigate all aspects of an instance or instances where data was hacked to identify what vulnerabilities led to the problem, who was responsible for the problem, and how can an organization respond with an effective model to prevent future security failures.
Cyber forensics experts must work in a variety of technological environments, from physical hardware to software and web applications. As different devices in everyday life continue to modernize technologically, hackers have more opportunities to prey on sensitive information and data. Smart refrigerators, TVs, and even microwaves are just as — if not even more so — prone to getting hacked as websites and phone apps. Because of this new frontier of technological vulnerability, cyber forensics experts have become a new wave of defense.
Skills that cyber forensics experts must adopt and maintain include:
- Operating systems in computers, server networks, mobile devices, and hardware
- Security vulnerabilities in popular firmware
- Thorough cyber investigation techniques
- Ransomware, malware, spyware, and keylogging code
- Encryption and ciphering techniques
- Programming language understanding in C#, C++, Java, HTML, Python, Ruby on Rails
As hackers aim to cover their tracks in increasingly innovative ways, cyber forensics experts must adapt to the ever-changing and evolving landscape of cybersecurity. As investigators who approach hacks, breaches, and leaks like crime scenes, cyber forensics experts must carefully gather all information they can to make sense of why the back or breach happened. On a day-to-day basis, cyber forensics analysts must be responsible for:
- Gathering and deciphering data from breaches in programs, source code, mobile devices, hardware, servers, computers, and other hardware and software environments
- Collect and organize evidence of any hacks or leaks to collaborate with law enforcement officials
- Detect traces, techniques, and reasons why a cyber attack or data breach occurred
- Restore missing, stolen, or corrupted data compromised in a hack or breach
- Compile comprehensive reports that detail why and how information or data was compromised
- Collaborate with other security experts to solve hacks and build infrastructural remedies to prevent future hacks, breaches, and leaks
Some of the biggest companies, government agencies, and organizations on the planet have identified the growing need for experienced and talented cybersecurity professionals. From major financial institutions to healthcare juggernauts, companies across the globe have sought out the services of cyber forensics experts to make sense of why hacks, breaches, or leaks have occurred. As a result, these positions are typically in high-demand and are compensated well. According to ZipRecruiter, computer forensics analysts earn an average annual salary of $100,063. Payscale reports that the range for these salaries spans from $50,000 on the low end to $119,000, averaging out at $74,618. Additionally, Burning Glass has predicted that cybersecurity jobs that require “Incident Response” skills will grow by 37% over the next five years.
Information Security Analyst
As an important marker of cyber defense, information security analysts are responsible for building networks and frameworks that protect sensitive data. Across industries that include finance, healthcare, insurance, governmental agencies, and technology, information security analysts work on teams to ensure user and organizational data remains secure against hacks, breaches, and leaks. Importantly, information security analysts work both proactively and reactively when it comes to hacks or breaches. While they are responsible for building an infrastructure of cybersecurity within an organization, they are also instrumental in diagnosing problems that lead to cyber attacks.
Other responsibilities that information security analysts have include:
- Create and/or use industry-best software: One of the best ways to prepare for a potential hack or breach is to make sure that security software is up to date. To this end, information security analysts either write new software that they must test to ensure it is up to industry standards or employ established cybersecurity software. From malware security to new firewall technology, security analysts must use innovative software to keep confidential information protected.
- Engage with industry-best security practices: Hacking is always evolving, and attackers are always finding new ways to penetrate security systems. As a result, it’s necessary for cybersecurity professionals to stay on top of security scholarship and best practices put out by leading cybersecurity authorities.
- Maintain network activity: Anomalies in server or network activity can usually signify the beginning of an attack. From this point, it will be necessary for security to intervene and start the diagnostic process. Much like a serious illness, the earlier that an attack can be detected, the less harm it will ultimately have on an organization. For this purpose, information security analysts should painstakingly keep track of how networks act.
- Collaborate with teams to create actionable security strategies: While most today are aware of the pitfalls of data leaks, hacks, or breaches, not many are knowledgeable of how specifically to contribute to a healthy model of data security. For information security analysts, this underscores the importance of communicating with non-technical audiences how to build plans to mitigate attacks and respond to hacks. This kind of action also contributes to a culture of security, where organizations can ultimately be more productive without the fear of a breach.
Outside of these core responsibilities, information security analysts also are responsible for conducting risk audits. In other words, these roles must analyze security frameworks from the backend to understand what organizations are doing correctly to keep data secure and what problem areas may contribute to an overall vulnerability. These audits, in addition to all of the other core responsibilities in the analyst’s repertoire, require an advanced knowledge base of database programming. The most important coding languages that these positions require include SQL, Python, R, and C#.
Information security analyst positions are some of the fastest growing across industries and sectors. As more organizations, public, private, governmental, and nonprofit, begin to understand the importance of protecting sensitive data, more information security analyst positions will only continue to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these positions are expected to grow by 33% from 2020-2030. Additionally, these positions earn an average yearly salary of $103,590. While not necessarily considered an entry-level position, most who graduate with bachelor’s degree in information technology or cybersecurity specifically can be hired as an information security analyst. Many who are hired for these positions have received a bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
Security Software Developer
One of the more creative positions in cybersecurity, security software developers are responsible for creating novel programs that ultimately protect sensitive data from hacks or breaches. At the same time that these security software developers must have a problem-solving approach necessary for programming, they must also have an advanced familiarity with database and information security.
Principally, security software developers must strategize, execute, and test software that’s designed to safeguard organizations from cyberattacks. In this capacity, most developers will work on teams that collaborate actively to engineer security-based software solutions. At the same time that they are responsible for building new programs, they are also tasked with debugging and troubleshooting issues with older programs to ensure that organizational systems remain safe.
Security software developers have become increasingly valued for companies and agencies of all sizes. Where large financial and healthcare firms require constant vigilance against breaches and hacks, many smaller businesses also employ the services of security developers to ensure their company stays protected. In all of these instances, developers must keep their client and their audience at the forefront of their problem solving. In other words, while security software developers must create effective code to protect against attackers, they must also produce programs that are accessible by or easy-to-use for non-technical audiences. When all members of an organization understand better how to use security programs that these developers create, companies have an increasingly better chance of warding off cyber attacks.
Because these software developers are creating interactive and practical programs, they must have an advanced understanding of different programming languages that include:
- C++
- C#
- Java
- Python
- Ruby
- SQL
Additionally, security software developers must be sure to create programs that are usable across devices and operating systems. For example, security programs that may be applicable to Windows 10 may not have the same effectiveness (or ability to function, even) on an iPhone OS.
Through this abundance of technical knowledge that security software developers must have, most of these programmers are only considered for hire if they hold a bachelor’s degree. Some companies will view extensive experience in the field as a suitable replacement, but most will require an undergraduate degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers earn an average yearly salary of $110,140, and positions in the field are expected to grow by 22% through 2030.
Security Manager
As principal decision makers for teams of cybersecurity professionals, security managers choose how and when to bolster different structural frameworks to keep organizational operations going. Security managers are able to achieve this goal by maintaining network infrastructure by monitoring data activity, supporting IT team members with direction, and implementing previously tested security policies to ensure sensitive data stays safe.
Security managers operate differently depending on which industry they work in. For example, security managers of major financial institutions will have different tasks from those managing social media or video game applications. As a result, security managers should become well-versed in the following security frameworks:
- Infrastructural Policy: In order to ensure that organizations are aware of how to plan for and respond to a potential attack, security managers must intervene to develop and implement effective infrastructural policy. This ultimately means that course code and server access remains safe while organizations are able to continue functioning. A cybersecurity plan is only effective when different stakeholders in the organizational fabric are kept in the loop. In this capacity, security managers must make sure that security policies are accessible to and understood by other leaders in the company.
- Application Defense: In our technological moment, most companies across sectors and industries have begun to develop apps to be accessed and used on mobile devices. As a result, hackers have discovered new ways to scrape sensitive data and attack major banking, healthcare, insurance, and education institutions. Security managers are important lines of defense here in the ways that they prepare teams of developers and IT professionals to create and maintain apps with the focus to keep them secure.
- Network Protection: With advancements in data compression happening all the time, more and more information is able to be uploaded and downloaded at increasingly fast speeds. As a result, networks have become prey to attackers who manage to penetrate these frameworks and steal this transferred information. Security managers here are responsible for applying the industry-best practices to guide teams of cybersecurity professionals to defend against such attacks. Moreover, security managers must also adopt an appropriate plan to guide IT team members in the event of a hack or breach.
- Risk Assessment: One of the hallmark functions of a security manager is the frequent and thorough risk assessment of critical structural and network defense. By conducting organized penetration tests and gathering information to bolster cybersecurity measures, security managers are able to protect sensitive data that much more effectively.
Security managers, also known as information systems managers, have become increasingly sought after by companies of all sizes. From major banking institutions to smaller governmental agencies across the country, security managers have become vital to the protection of proprietary information and sensitive user data. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently reported, security managers earn an average yearly salary of $151,150 because of their structural importance to organizations across industries. Through 2030, these positions are expected to grow by 11%. Because of the leadership aspect of the role, security managers typically enter with an abundance of experience in cybersecurity and with at least a bachelor’s degree. Some who aim to compensate for less experience will often get a Master’s degree in cybersecurity or a related information technology field.
Chief Information Security Officer
A chief information security officer (CISO) is the procedural leader of all cybersecurity measures within an organization. As a senior-level executive position, this role is typically reserved for industry leaders with advanced degrees and managerial experience across cybersecurity contexts and sectors. A relatively new C-suite role, CISOs delegate cybersecurity policies to teams of security professionals across teams, departments, and agencies. They report typically to the chief executive officer and the organization’s board on proactive and reactive measures that ensure a company’s data, assets, and communications are defended from attacks.
In addition to the technical knowledge base that a CISO must maintain and continually develop to match industry-best standards, these executives must also leverage innovative leadership tactics to direct, motivate, and support teams of information security professionals who operate in a more day-to-day capacity. These positions are much higher-level and strategize new security measures that complement organizational goals. Specifically, chief information security officers must:
- Oversee company-wide risk audits to bolster security practices
- Create cybersecurity policy that keeps the company compliant based on state and federal regulations
- Stay informed on industry-wide trends to predict future hacks or breaches
- Build an organizational framework that prioritizes the use of cybersecurity measures
- Develop budgets to staff security software developers, incident responders, and information security analysts to maintain defense protocols
- Orchestrate educational programs centered on cybersecurity practices for non-technical audiences
Those who eventually get CISO positions typically enter with more than 20 years of professional experience in information security positions. From cryptographers and incident responders to cybersecurity managers and information security analysts, CISOs usually have experience in multiple roles across the cybersecurity spectrum. Additionally, most CISOs have advanced degrees in the field because of the higher level technical scholarship that leaders in the field need to compete for these positions. According to Salary.com, CISOs earn an average yearly salary that ranges from $197,833 and $261,656.
Incident Responder
After a hack, breach, attack, or leak occurs, cybersecurity incident responders are typically the first to intervene. Responsible for having an advanced understanding cybersecurity measures, incident responders must typically have a firm grasp on the following:
- Network security
- Security policy (which can vary by organization)
- Risk assessment
- Cybersecurity auditing
- Malware, spyware, and ransomware analysis
- Cyber forensic evidence gathering
- Incident reporting
Incident responders are different from all of the other positions explored in this guide in that their time is considered much more flexible. In other words, incident responders usually enjoy a flex time schedule, where they are only called on when an incident arises. To this end, incident responders must always be ready for the eventuality that an attack will take place on sensitive data that an organization aims to protect. In these instances, incident responders must react immediately with an advanced set of cybersecurity forensic tools and skills that ultimately serve to limit the harm done by an attacker, a breach, or a hack.
Programming skills and languages that incident responders must have include:
- C# and C++
- PHP
- Ruby
- Python
- SQL
- Java
- Microsoft Windows 10
- iPhone OS
- Linux / Unix
- Mac OS
In order to be the most effective in finding solutions in real-time to dangerous cyber threats, incident responders must work closely with other cybersecurity personnel before, during, and after an attack. The more that incident responders are able to collaborate with other cybersecurity professionals throughout the process of getting ready for or reacting to an impending threat, the more prepared an organization will be in dealing with an attack.
Cybersecurity incident responders, like most other security professionals, have become increasingly valued by companies and organizations in private and public sectors. As a result, most incident responders earn an average yearly salary ranging from $88,000 to $153,500, with the average position paying $110,972, according to Zip Recruiter.