Users can search for cybersecurity positions and browse listings from high-profile companies. Since most employers expect certification, the first step involves experience. Some positions may accept bootcamp graduates or self-taught workers with drive and certifications. According to a 2021 CompTIA job report, information security analyst positions were in the top ten for the most remote job listings — with about 4,400 postings.
Your Career Path in Cybersecurity
They are experts at detecting cyber threats and implementing data-saving security measures. These technicians also create and enforce security policies, carry out threat and risk analyses and perform vulnerability assessments. Cybersecurity professionals tend to get paid well for their skills, even at the entry level.
What Are Some Other Top Cybersecurity Careers?
- Before investing in higher education or certifications, explore salaries in cybersecurity and learn about the projected career outlook for the coming decade.
- Discover whether the security specialist profession fits your strengths and interests by exploring daily tasks and responsibilities.
- Applicants should explore which certifications match their skills and desired career path.
- Due to the industry’s evolving nature, security specialists’ responsibilities are complex and ever-changing.
Cybersecurity specialists are problem-solvers, analytical thinkers, leaders and cybersecurity experts. The need for cybersecurity talent is growing as organizations struggle to find balance in the post-COVID business landscape. Many organizations lost their equilibrium as they rapidly adopted new technologies during the height of the pandemic. Cybersecurity specialists can help organizations manage and improve information security.
The field of cybersecurity offers a wide range of job opportunities and diverse career paths. Most of their experience should come from working a cybersecurity-related job. Sometimes, IT professionals work in IT networking, systems engineering, security intelligence and financial and risk analysis prior to moving into a cybersecurity specialist role. Second, the growing sophistication of cyberattacks means that organizations need more skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions About Security Specialist Careers
Security analysts sometimes work with multiple departments to ensure their colleagues understand the organization’s best practices for information security. Security analysts, in particular, spend their days studying the devices in use, analyzing network structure, and testing security measures like firewalls and software permissions. CyberDegrees.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.
How to Become a Cybersecurity Specialist + Career & Salary Guide
Among the many cybersecurity jobs that companies are hiring for across all industries is the position of cybersecurity specialist. Many employers require cybersecurity specialists to obtain prior work how to become a security specialist experience in information security or a related field. Experience in a particular industry, such as banking, may give aspiring security specialists a leg up on other applicants aiming to work in that specific field.
As you gain experience and move into more advanced roles, salaries often go up as well. To give you an idea of what’s possible, here’s a look at the average total pay of several cybersecurity jobs in the US in October 2023, according to Glassdoor. Cybersecurity specialists can anticipate strong employment growth over the coming decade.