Cybersecurity professionals defend businesses of all sizes and industries from data breaches and attacks. Furthermore, the demand for cybersecurity experts is increasing at a tremendous speed. The number of job ads for cybersecurity positions has increased three times faster than the number of IT job openings overall. As a cyber-security specialist, you can choose from 10 different career paths.

Chief Information Security Officer

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is often a mid-level executive whose role is to oversee the IT security division of a company or organization. CISOs are in charge of planning, coordinating, and directing all of their company’s computer, network, and data security needs. In addition,  CISOs work closely with executives to determine an organization’s unique cybersecurity requirements. CISOs are typically responsible for putting together an effective team of security specialists, which necessitates a candidate with solid experience in IT security architecture and strategy and outstanding communication and human resource abilities.

Computer Forensics Analysts

Cybercrime, an ever-increasing phenomenon, is the focus of forensics experts. They collaborate with law enforcement authorities in both the public and private sectors and are tasked with a wide range of responsibilities, including:

• Recovering files that have been deleted
• Using crime-related data to make inferences
• Examining records from cell phones
• Following up on data traces

Ethical Hackers

Ethical hackers usually have a CEH accreditation and are granted permission by their employers to figure out how to break into their system’s security. The concept is that they evaluate existing security mechanisms using the same approaches as malevolent black hat hackers; if they are successful, enhancements can be designed and implemented. 

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts are the first line of defense for networks. They install firewalls and encryption to prevent intrusions, and they regularly monitor and audit systems for suspicious activity.

IT Security Consultant

IT security consultants work directly with clients to guide them on the most efficient and cost-effective ways to defend their organizations’ cybersecurity objectives. IT Security Consultants are frequently hired by small businesses and government organizations that can’t afford to handle security issues in-house. Still, they’re also employed by large corporations to enhance their security teams and provide a neutral outside perspective on existing system difficulties.

 Penetration Tester

Penetration testing is the permitted use of testing methods on an IT system to identify system faults proactively. Before an intruder can inflict significant damage, a penetration tester will attempt to break into a computer and network system (with permission) to find operating system vulnerabilities, service and application flaws, inappropriate configurations, and more. To “break into” the systems under surveillance, penetration testers must be highly adept, typically employing testing tools of their creation. In addition, penetration testers must keep detailed logs of their operations and vulnerabilities uncovered.

Security Architect

The security architect career path is for you if you appreciate problem-solving and devising big-picture plans. A security architect’s job is to design, build, and implement network and computer security for a company. Security architects are in charge of creating complicated security frameworks and making sure they work properly. In addition, they create security systems to protect against malware, hacking, and distributed denial-of-service attacks.

Security Consultant

A security consultant is a generalist in the field of cybersecurity. They assess cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and challenges for various organizations and provide alternative solutions and advise them on how to preserve and secure their physical assets and data. Security consultants must be flexible and tech-savvy when reviewing security systems across various firms and industries because they deal with a wide range of variables.

Security Software Developer

During the design and development phase, security software developers create security software and integrate security into applications software. For example, a security software developer may supervise a team of developers in the development of secure software tools, develop a company-wide software security strategy, participate in the lifecycle development of software systems, support software deployments to customers, and test their work for security flaws, depending on the position and company.

Security Systems Administrator

Installing, administering, maintaining, and troubleshooting computer, network, and data security systems are all responsibilities of a security systems administrator, as are many other cybersecurity positions. The key difference between security systems administrators and other cybersecurity experts is that the security systems administrator usually controls the security systems’ daily operations. For example, regular tasks include system monitoring and backups and creating, deleting, and maintaining individual user accounts. In addition, administrators of security systems are frequently engaged in the development of organizational security processes.

As you have learned, your cybersecurity profession can bring you down a variety of pathways. But, first and foremost, you must begin someplace. The new Cyber Security Bootcamp course from Coder Academy is a fantastic accelerated education choice for learning the necessary skills, knowledge, and technology you’ll need to pursue any cybersecurity career. Coder Academy will help you understand and master sought-after skills and develop you for a career in cybersecurity by providing you with industry-led IT training from existing cybersecurity professionals. So, whether you’re just getting started in IT or looking to advance your career, Coder Academy has the hands-on technology courses you need to upgrade or find a new career.