It’s not surprising that cybersecurity has become more crucial than ever before. Some estimates reveal that cybercrimes are going to cost USD 6 trillion annually. You can find an unending list of cybercrimes on the Internet.
Cybercrime can happen at any moment, any place, and in any form. Not only the financial transactions, your social media accounts, and even your UIDs are not safe. You might have felt sometimes that someone is listening to you all the time. When you talk to your friend or relative about something (for example, chocolate), suddenly you get a message advertising offers on that same chocolate that arrive in your inbox.
So, when we are kept an eye on all the time, cybercrime can take place at any moment. This has resulted in a massive increase in the number of companies looking for skilled and trained professionals to protect their systems and networks from hackers and cybercriminals.
Today, all the companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations are looking to hire cybersecurity professionals. This is because a vulnerability is all that a cybercriminal needs. A cybersecurity professional is the one who protects the system and network of the company from hackers by identifying weaknesses in the system and planning safety measures accordingly.
A career in cybersecurity is bright as you can find jobs in every sector, across all industries, including IT and Telecommunication, BFSI, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Media and Entertainment, etc. This has made professionals go with cybersecurity certification in San Francisco so that they can find a high-paying job in the industry of their choice.
With the increase in the number of cyberattacks taking place every hour, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is skyrocketing. Cybercrime magazine states that there is a massive 350% growth in open positions in cybersecurity from 2013 to 2021. Also, the New York Times report states that there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs.
If you really wish to protect an organization’s digital assets and network from security breaches, but you are confused on how to do that or which job role to pursue, you should have a close look at what are the skills you require to develop. To make a career in cybersecurity, some skills are crucial for you to acquire. Let us have a look at some of the important skills required for this domain.
Skills Required for a Career in Cybersecurity
To pursue a career in this domain, you need professional, technical, and functional skills along with a specified set of cybersecurity skills and preliminary soft skills mentioned by employers to get a competitive edge. Read below for the required skills.
1. Technical Skills
The most important skills to acquire under this category are:
2. Reverse Engineering
Strong knowledge of different operating system architectures, specifically iOs, Linux, and Windows is required when you need to disassemble the code and patch the bugs and perform malware analysis. Reverse engineering also requires you to be proficient in programming and scripting languages, including Java, Python, JavaScript, C++, etc.
3. Application Design
You are required to build secure interfaces and architectures within applications along with testing them all through the software development lifecycle. So you should properly understand integrity, availability, confidentiality, and other aspects of software security.
4. Firewall administration
You must know how to install and manage firewalls to keep away from inbound traffic and manage access to the network of an organization. To accomplish this, you need a sound knowledge of software and hardware firewall infrastructures and mechanisms.
5. Knowledge of security across different platforms
As we know that today security is not just confined to computers; security is needed at all levels, including operating systems, cloud networks, mobile devices, and wireless networks. You need to keep yourself updated with advances in all of these fields.
6. Basic Computer Forensic Skills
If you have basic knowledge of computer forensics, it can help you gain expertise in cybersecurity. To protect the digital assets of your company you should know how to recover compromised data and plan for the action to be taken if your efforts fail.
7. Communication Skills
As the role of a cybersecurity professional is not that of an individual but you are required to work with a team and also report to other departments. It is required that you efficiently communicate your findings, issues, and solutions to the related teams. For this, you need excellent verbal and written communication skills.
8. Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving plays a crucial role as you are required to find creative ways to solve complex information security issues across different existing and emerging technologies and tech environments.
9. Attention to Detail
You are required to be highly vigilant and detail-oriented. This is because data breaches are generally difficult to recognize. Minor changes in the pattern of incoming traffic may reveal suspicious actions, and you should be able to identify the concerns quickly to come up with solutions to address them.
Tools and Programs for Cybersecurity Professionals
1. Penetration Testing Software
Cybersecurity professionals utilize host-based and network-based vulnerability management tools to identify potential risks. For this, you may learn Wireshark (for conducting network protocol analysis) or Netspark and Acunetix.
2. Anti-virus Software
With anti-virus, you can screen malware at the end-point devices. You can learn how to install, control, and analyze data from programs like Malwarebytes, Webroot Endpoint protection, and ESET endpoint security.
3. SEIM Tools
Programs like Splunk, Solarwinds, and IBM QRadar can help you maintain your organization’s general security posture.
Conclusion
You have now come across the skills and tools you need to master so as to make a future-proof career in cybersecurity.
The step that is strongly recommended to get this accomplished is to take up an online training course. The online training courses offered by accredited institutes help you acquire these skills easily and master the tools and programs required to become a cybersecurity pro. They provide round-the-clock teachers’ assistance and allow you to learn at your own pace. On the completion of the course, you get a course certificate as well as career guidance.
Enroll now!
