A cybersecurity specialist is a security professional who leverages skills, technology expertise and training to secure an enterprise’s sensitive data from both internal and external threats. This professional identifies vulnerabilities and conducts threat and risk analysis to monitor and combat intrusions against company infrastructure. This article explains the role of a cybersecurity specialist and lists the job skills needed to succeed in this field.
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Role of a Cybersecurity Specialist in an Enterprise
A cybersecurity specialist is a security professional with the skills, technology expertise, and training needed to protect an enterprise’s sensitive data from both internal and external threats. This includes cybercrime, unauthorized access, hacking, or illegal interception.
Responsibilities of a Cybersecurity Specialist
These security professionals keep a close watch on the specific risks that lurk around the organization’s IT ecosystem by tapping into data, right from entry to storage and exit. They create systematic strategies to proactively prevent and react to security breaches, thereby protecting software systems, networks, data centers, and hardware. Cybersecurity specialists play a pivotal role in safeguarding a company’s information systems by identifying the potential risks in hardware and software systems. They monitor, detect, investigate, analyze, and respond to security events, thereby mitigating risks in real-time.
Cybersecurity specialists build firewalls on network infrastructure that aid in the early recognition of potential threats or attempted breaches by cyber-attackers. In a nutshell, cybersecurity specialists monitor, identify and manage all kinds of attacks and intrusions. They also keep themselves abreast of any new threats, as, with time, cyberattacks continue to evolve and grow in sophistication. The common roles and responsibilities of a cybersecurity specialist include:
1. Undertaking measures to secure IT infrastructure
Cybersecurity specialists are responsible for extending support to all firewalls and building appropriate security into networks, software systems, and data centers. Moreover, they also exercise various security audit practices along with log analysis.
2. Scanning network devices
Cybersecurity specialists constantly monitor for attacks and intrusions and take action against identified security vulnerabilities. They stay up to date on the current virus landscape and implement measures to protect networks from viruses by keeping a tab on networking devices. Moreover, they also identify perpetrators and retaliate immediately in case of a network security breach.
3. Formulating security policies, protocols, and guidelines for system security processes
Cybersecurity specialists design and enforce various security standards, policies, and procedures for enterprise systems. They evaluate organizational security and resilience through simulated cyberattacks such as penetration testing. Additionally, they look for vulnerabilities and risks in hardware and software and make recommendations that can help mitigate any risk.
4. Providing training to subordinates
Cybersecurity specialists provide training to colleagues by teaching them the appropriate security procedures to handle all information security issues. In doing so, they promote security awareness and provide updates and reports to the management, executive staff, and other concerned stakeholders.
5. Planning, coordinating, and implementing information security programs
Those working in a cybersecurity specialist role collaborate with different teams to implement several security programs that offer protection against online threats such as malware, phishing, denial-of-service attacks, information warfare, and even hacking.
6. Employing investigative analysis to diagnose security breaches
Cybersecurity specialists employ investigative analysis and engineering skills to track and diagnose security events and tackle vulnerability issues. They also recommend potential solutions such as hardware and software programs that can minimize the impact of breaches.
See More: What Is a Security Vulnerability? Definition, Types, and Best Practices for Prevention
10 Key Skills Needed for Success in 2022
As technology advances, there has been a quantitative rise in network vulnerabilities and cyber threats. With digitization and technologies gaining pace, cybersecurity experts must stay updated with the required skills and knowledge base. The ability to learn and adapt to newer technologies is, therefore, a crucial skill for any cybersecurity professional.
Here’s a list of the top skills needed to succeed in the role of a cybersecurity specialist:
Cybersecurity Specialists Key Skills
1. Degree in a security-related field
Cybersecurity specialists are expected to have some form of formal education in a cybersecurity-related stream. Although this is not mandatory as some security specialists tend to take unconventional paths, acquiring a degree in a security-related field such as computer science can help. Formal education provides a solid foundation to security specialists, irrespective of how these professionals acquired their skills to perform jobs in the field of cybersecurity.
You can become a security specialist despite having an undergraduate degree in another field simply by acquiring the requisite certifications or completing a cybersecurity associate’s degree. For most professionals, pursuing an online master’s degree program in information assurance has been very helpful. This program is offered by over 50 universities in the U.S.
2. Ability to perform deep analysis with an eye for detail
Cybersecurity specialists are responsible for performing investigative analysis and diagnosis of cyber threats to identify the loopholes in a system. This requires these security professionals to have the ability to dig deep and perform a thorough analysis of any security event.
Successful cybersecurity specialists need to have skills such as:
3. Fundamental technical skills
Cybersecurity covers several sub-disciplines. As such, having a basic technical foundation is a must for a security specialist. To begin with, a fundamental understanding of administration, management, and O.S architectures (Linux, Windows, etc.) is essential. Also, a command over networking concepts and software virtualization is necessary.
A good hold over the working of firewalls and network load balancers is critical. Additionally, a strong grip on concepts related to software development, programming, and analytics is crucial. Programming languages can include C, C++, Java, C#, and assembly language, along with scripting languages such as Python, PHP, etc.
Several companies also ask for relevant certifications. Although certifications add substantial weightage to the profile of a security specialist, they alone cannot be considered as the point of reference to achieve success. Some certifications that you can consider to propel your security specialist prospects include:
Note: The list above is not exhaustive and only lists a few certifications as examples out of the many cybersecurity certifications available today.
Along with certifications, industry-relevant experience is also critical. This is due to the evolutionary nature of the threat landscape as the security terrain may evolve in all probability between the phase when you acquire a degree or certification and the actual time when you apply for a job. Hence, certifications should be backed by the right skill set-related experience.
4. Hard technical skills
Hard technical skills are core to a cybersecurity specialist’s role. Some of these important skills include:
5. Soft skills
Cybersecurity specialists are expected to acquire a handful of soft skills along with technical expertise in the domain. Soft skills encompass the following:
6. Strong understanding of requisite tools, methodologies, and platforms
A security specialist should be aware of various technical tools such as security intelligence tools, report writing tools, threat modeling tools, malware analysis tools, and statistical data analysis tools to better perform the necessary duties.
The knowledge about such tools, methodologies, and platforms can help security professionals collect relevant forensic evidence of intrusions or attacks on networks and perform a thorough analysis of such data.
Additionally, understanding visual link analysis tools can help security experts view multilevel links among different threat actors and entities within an IT infrastructure. Such tools aid in effective data visualization. Examples include Sentinel Visualizer and Maltego.
7. Ability to perform detailed assessments and make strategic recommendations
A security specialist is expected to organize, coordinate, and perform detailed assessments of various technical vulnerability issues. These can include:
A successful security specialist should also provide strategic recommendations to better manage any security incidents and breaches. As such, the integrity of the approach and process followed is thereby maintained. In addition, they can also brief their colleagues on how a complex security event was concluded. Such a practice can build confidence in team members and guide them to tackle any security event in the future.
8. Data expertise
A security specialist needs to be an expert in data collection and analysis skills. Familiarity with various data-acquiring methods allows these professionals to derive insightful data and help them combat any form of attack or intrusion on a network.
Some of the important data collection sources include:
Additionally, platforms such as AlienVault (OTX™) enable security researchers to share research findings and investigate new and ever-evolving threats. Such tools, along with other data collection sources, allow security specialists to perform competitive threat analysis. Thus, deep knowledge and greater data expertise allow professionals to resolve threats faster, i.e., with a better response time.
9. Capability to crack the mindset of an attacker
For mitigating the risk of cyberattacks, it is important to have a deeper understanding of an attacker’s mindset. Big companies such as Facebook and Microsoft have hired hackers to get a clue of the mentality of hackers that try to hack their sites.
The traits of a hacker can only be understood if you, yourself, can think like one. Some common personality highlights of attackers may relate to intelligence, top-notch technical skills, and risk-taking nature. They are usually from a computer science background and possess the ability to decode human psychology. It allows them to manipulate, play, and trick people’s minds into revealing essential information or force them into performing dubious actions.
Hence, with cybersecurity spreading its web in the growing digital world, it is critical to devise a plan that can counter attack right at the source rather than performing damage control tasks later on. Penetration testing can play a key role in such a scenario. For example, Netsparker is an automated scanner that performs penetration testing by identifying vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting in web applications and application programming interfaces (APIs).
10. Strong leadership skills
A successful cybersecurity specialist should have strong leadership skills that can be exercised through credibility, responsiveness, and ethics. They must gain the trust of their colleagues, senior management, subordinates, and peers. This can help them smoothly lead the security campaign and also allow them to better understand the internal and external risks faced by the business.
See More: What Is Network Security? Definition, Types, and Best Practices
Industry Salaries and What to Expect
According to Zippia, the average cybersecurity specialist salary in the U.S. revolves around $88,100 per year (or $42.35 per hour) as of January 2022. Also, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York are the U.S. states that offer the highest salaries to cybersecurity specialists.
The small pool of cybersecurity professionals and the gap in the talent available in the market has raised the salary cap to a substantial level, thereby making this profession a lucrative option for security enthusiasts. Let’s look at the income stats and industry sectors that employ cybersecurity specialists:
The salary package earned by a security specialist varies widely and is determined by numerous factors such as educational qualification, relevant certifications, years of experience, and security-related skill set. Some companies even offer incentives in the form of bonuses and profit-sharing for complex and critical security assignments. As such, best-performing security specialists who build a good reputation in the industry in addition to their skill set can get their salaries scaled to new highs and reap various benefits from the cybersecurity sector.
See More: What Is Data Security? Definition, Planning, Policy, and Best Practices
Takeaway
There are many reasons to plunge into the cybersecurity space and pursue a career as a cybersecurity specialist. Simplifying the job role cliché, the profession offers a good salary package, job security, learning opportunities, challenging day-to-day tasks, and the chance to contribute in a real way to the security sector.
A cybersecurity specialist’s role provides exciting opportunities to handle critical cyber threats and, in turn, safeguard a company’s information systems and infrastructure. You will play a pivotal role in making strategic decisions, thereby providing tactical advice to secure business-critical operations. You will also get the chance to solve complex cybersecurity events by applying your technical and scientific expertise.
With companies embracing the remote work culture and the world becoming more digitally connected post-pandemic, cybersecurity is only expected to expand in the years to come. Newer technologies such as edge computing, IoT, and others will inevitably bring security threats to the fore, but this will also demand related skills to resolve such events. Cybersecurity will thereby become imperative for organizations, businesses, and even individuals.
Which skills do you plan to acquire to succeed as a cybersecurity specialist this year? Comment below or let us know on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!
