What Exactly is a Cybersecurity Professional?

With the rapid transition toward the online world and a more digital way of life, an increasing number of firms are transferring their operations online or, at the very least, beginning to rely on a complicated computer network to conduct daily operations. This is especially true given the global impact of COVID and the fact that the great majority of employees now work remotely, away from a central hub or office. With this in mind, it is not unexpected that the number of IT positions in general is increasing.

Cybersecurity is one area where there is an increasing demand for expertise, and many businesses today require a variety of IT and data security workers. Cybersecurity occupations are in high demand since data and information security is a crucial component of any IT system or network. In a nutshell, cybersecurity professionals protect systems and networks from hackers and other dangers, as well as design defenses against prospective attacks. A cybersecurity professional's job includes designing a safe network, as well as a threat detection system and incident response. Cybersecurity occupations are typically quite profitable and provide excellent opportunities for advancement and professional growth.

What Does a Cybersecurity Professional Do?

Cybersecurity professionals build, test, and analyze systems to keep data and information safe from hackers and other external threats. They work to identify threats and find ways to keep an organization's internal computer network safe and secure from threats such as malware, phishing, password attacks, and other intrusions. There are, however, varied roles within the industry and a few different cybersecurity careers available. There is also great scope for career development in the cybersecurity industry and it can be a great career path for those looking for long-term development.

Specific Roles Within Cybersecurity

Starting at the top, the CSO (Chief Information Security Officer or Chief Security Officer) is responsible for protecting a company's network and sensitive data. This person will also often manage a large team of IT security professionals and needs a strong familiarity with the structure of IT systems. Entry-level positions in cybersecurity include systems administrators and network operators. People in each of these roles work to ensure that the right people can access the correct network and information. More experienced cybersecurity professionals need to know how to protect data and run analyses that identify gaps or vulnerabilities in a computer system or network, as well as implementing defenses against possible threats.

What Skills Does a Cyber Expert Need?

Valuable skills for any cybersecurity professional include in-depth knowledge and understanding of IT in general, including systems administration and apps. An awareness of systems architecture is also helpful, as are solid coding skills (e.g. Java, Ruby, Python, Perl, and C++). Data management skills and strong analytical skills are also crucial. Likewise, staying up to date and ahead of cybersecurity threats is a big part of a cybersecurity professional's job, along with strong data management skills. Depending on the organization and internal structure, cybersecurity professionals may also need to generate reports for various stakeholders and are generally responsible for communicating security updates to the whole company.

Managing password resets and other IT issues for employees may also be among the potential tasks for those in cybersecurity roles. Other topics that apply to cybersecurity careers include needing to be familiar with include computer systems, understanding how they operate and their functionalities, as well as operating systems - ie. systems processes and commands. Understanding the principles and protocols of networks is also important, along with the different types of networks that are available.

Further Development in Cybersecurity Careers

More specific roles and cybersecurity careers include system architects and security analysts. A security architect will design and build the security system for a company. This also requires regular maintenance. A security analyst's job is to monitor potential threats and analyze the network for vulnerabilities, while security engineers develop solutions for any vulnerabilities within a computer system.

As the online world is constantly evolving and digital platforms become more and more complex, staying up to date with the latest best practices, web development, and security updates are crucial for anyone in a cybersecurity role, and in particular, those at the frontline watching out for threats and risks. Some companies may have a dedicated role or team for incident response. People in this position will analyze intrusions or potential intrusions and develop tools to repair any damage caused or prevent it from occurring. Intrusion analysis teams often work closely with security software engineers, who build software to protect computers from cyber-attacks.

Those with more experience can go on to develop cybersecurity careers as security consultants, providing advice on security issues, and advising on best security practices for a company to help them avoid cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity professionals with an interest in law enforcement may branch into computer forensics and explore cybersecurity careers as computer forensic analysts. This means working with law enforcement agencies or private firms to recover information from systems that have been attacked. Lastly, a penetration tester tests a network by conducting controlled cyber-attacks. This helps to identify any gaps or vulnerabilities in a system's existing structure and protection.  

Practical skills such as problem-solving, analytics, reporting, and time management are also crucial in many cybersecurity careers, and no matter what field you have worked in previously, there is a good chance you have transferable skills that will be highly beneficial in a cybersecurity role. Overall, the work that a cybersecurity professional does tends to be varied and is a crucial component in the vast majority of organizations today.

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