Future of Cyber Security Jobs

postgraduate certificate in cybersecurity

Cybersecurity jobs are in high demand and it doesn’t seem like the need for more security professionals is going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Cyber attacks are only becoming more common and more harmful, affecting individuals, companies, governments and enterprises.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of growth for jobs in information security is projected at 37% from 2012–2022—that’s much faster than the average for all other occupations.

Computer science roles are already in high demand as it is; adding in the element of security makes these roles even more critical and sought after.

Cybercrime damages will cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015. Cyberattacks are also the fastest growing crime in the U.S., increasing in size, sophistication and cost. As companies endure paralyzing, malicious attacks and costly data breaches, the race to find professionals to defend their data, devices and infrastructure rises in priority.

Cybersecurity Jobs

Most commonly jobs are Cybersecurity Engineer, Specialist, Analyst, or Architect.
Jobs that require cybersecurity know-how will usually have a range of titles and the most common titles are Security Analyst, Security Engineer or Architect, Security/IT Director or Manager, CISO/CSO, Systems Administrator, Network Architect or Engineer, Forensics Investigator, Auditor, Systems Engineer or Integrator, among quite a few other roles.

Common skills required for cybersecurity job roles are incident handling and response, audit and compliance, firewall/IDS/IPS skills, intrusion detection, analytics and intelligence, SIEM management, access/identity management, application security development, advanced malware prevention, and cloud computing/virtualization. While these are the most common skills, most cybersecurity roles require a handful of these skills plus others.

Based on the SANS survey, the top five industries for cybersecurity professionals are Banking/Finance/Insurance, Information Technology/Management, Government (Defense), Government (Nondefense), and Consulting/Professional Services.
There is a growing demand for people to be trained in internet security to help defend against cybercrimes. As a student or a professional, if you want to make a career in Cybersecurity, this is a great opportunity.
Skills needed for a career in cybersecurity
However, being a cybersecurity expert, you will need to possess specific skills that will help you tackle problems with ease. This may include:

  • Strong ability to problem-solving since you have to do this at every minute of your job.
  • You must have experience with an extensive range of security tools and computer systems for executing programs in an effective manner.
  • You must have strong analytical skills with proven capability to communicate with a variety of people within your company as well as partner organisations.
  • You must have the ability and flexibility to multi-task in a fast-paced, tense atmosphere.
  • As a cybersecurity expert, integrity and dependability is the last thing required since you have to safeguard the interests of the company you are working for.

What does a Cybersecurity expert do?

  • As a cybersecurity expert, your job will include doing everything from safeguarding the network to implementing information security programs, and coordinating with other industry experts and implementing a plan.
  • You will diagnose and monitor viruses, malware, and other vulnerability issues and make recommendations for solutions. This includes both software and hardware programs.
  • You will be responsible for designing firewalls, regulate access, and monitor the use of data files to protect the network and safeguard information.
  • One of your duties include staying aware of the latest malware and viruses in-order to inhibit these viruses from entering your company’s network.
  • You will also be responsible for promoting security awareness, imparting training to the end-users, provide updates and reports to management, and develop policies about numerous aspects of Cybersecurity.