10 Cybersecurity Career Options and What They Offer You
There’s a flawed notion that cybersecurity is a one-size-fits-all profession for preventing cyberattacks. These attacks are numerous; you can’t address them wearing only one hat.
Cybersecurity is a broad career with different areas of specialization. Do you want to work in the industry? Here are the various fields you should note and consider.
1. Threat Intelligence
Cybersecurity is a protective measure against several threats that systems and networks face.Threat intelligence is a process of gathering, sorting, and analyzing threat-related dataabout specific networks.
Intruders operate in various ways. To manage them, you must understand how they behave. Effective threat intelligence gives network owners and administrators insights into how to prevent and mitigate threats.
To specialize in threat intelligence, you must have an in-depth understanding of various vulnerabilities and cyber incidents so you can identify them. You also need to have the skills for collecting, processing, analyzing, and implementing data intel.
2. Digital Forensics
The aftermath of cyberattacks doesn’t always end within the network host or administrator’s jurisdiction. They could also face litigation, especially if they were in possession of other people’s data before the attack. They’ll need to present evidence of the incident during court proceedings—this is where digital forensics come in.
Digital forensics is gathering, documenting, and evaluating evidence of a cyber incident digitally. As a digital forensics analyst, you may determine the outcome of a lawsuit based on the evidence you provide. You must have an eye for investigation and the skills to extract evidence and restore lost data.
3. Cloud Security
Many people and organizations have shifted to cloud technology for their computing needs. It offers more storage space, access control, and convenience than on-premise systems. Butcloud applications are not completely safeas the shift presents more security vulnerabilities and ultimately cybercriminals have more opportunities to attack it.
Cloud security offers techniques to secure cloud-based systems and their data. It combines a set of policies, procedures, processes, and applications to tighten the security of cloud systems against intruders.
To specialize in cloud security, you must be very knowledgeable about software-as-a-service (SaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS).
4. IT Auditing and Consulting
It’s almost impossible for mainstream organizations to function without an IT infrastructure as most business activities of today are digital. The conditions of an organization’s computing systems and practices often determine its fate with cyber incidents.
IT auditing and consulting is a standard evaluation of a company’s computing systems’ operations to identify vulnerabilities that may lead to attacks. An IT auditing and consulting specialist examines not just the applications in use but also the policies guiding employee behavior regarding cybersecurity. The auditor or consultant must have expert knowledge of security-related laws and regulations within the organization’s industries to make them compliant.
5. Computer Network Defense
Cyberattackers are always looking for their next targets, so people and organizations must establish strong security to secure their systems. Computer network defense (CND) is an area of cybersecurity that anticipates and prevents threats. It uses advanced technology to monitor, detect, analyze, and protect systems against threats that can obstruct their operations.
CND is most common among government agencies and large corporations that manage highly sensitive data. Attacks on their systems can jeopardize national security. CND specialists are some of the most skilled cybersecurity personnel because there’s so much at stake in their jobs.
6. Software Development
Software development is creating, modifying, deploying, and improving software applications. Software entails programs that instruct systems on actions to take. While cybersecurity professionals develop software for good purposes, cybercriminals use it to launch attacks. This makes the job of these professionals more challenging as they must secure their software.
Programmers and coders are the main people who do software development. They are experts in software development specialties such as system software, application software, programming software, and embedded software.
7. Application Security
As programmers and developers create applications to meet various computing needs, it isn’t long before threat actors try to exploit these applications for their malicious gains. Application security considers all possible vulnerabilities within an application in its development phase. It deploys asecurity-by-design approach to secure all angles of a computing systemright from its foundation.
Application security applies to both software and hardware devices. Even after launching applications for use, application security personnel continue to maintain their security. They run regular checks and updates to guarantee high performance.
8. Cryptography
When you are dealing with skilled hackers, there’s only so much you can do to deny them access to targeted data. However, you can enhance data security by making it difficult for them to interpret or understand the data if they happen to access it.
Cryptography is a process of writing data in codes that only authorized persons and systems can understand. It uses mathematical algorithms to transform messages into un-decodable formats. Digital signing is a common cryptography technique. Only legitimate components with an ascribed digital signature can pass the authorization and authentication process.
9. Secure DevOps
The term “DevOps” is an acronym for development, operations, and security. It’s a field of cybersecurity that facilitates synergy between IT infrastructures and user experience. An application might meet the developer’s standards, but when they deploy it to the market, it doesn’t satisfy the user due to glitches.
Secure DevOps provides continuous services to correct anomalies and bugs in applications for optimal performance at all times. Besides its internal applications, DevOps teams may integrate third-party applications into their services. They must ensure that these vendor tools are void of threats or vulnerabilities.
10. Internet of Things (IoT) Security
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the various devices connected to each other with sensors for tracking engagements. These tools exchange data that explain users' behavioral patterns upon interpretations.
The devices in IoT aren’t exempted from cybercriminals’ radar—they infiltrate these systems to retrieve users' data. IoT security focuses on securing connected devices against unauthorized access to maintain data privacy especially as they generate critical data about users’ daily activities.
Secure Digital Assets With Specialized Skills
Cybercriminals know their strengths. They focus on launching attacks in areas they are very knowledgeable, and this often results in a high success rate. They can even improve on these techniques over time as they acquire more knowledge and skills.
Cybersecurity is too broad to have the same professionals working in all areas. When they specialize in specific fields, they are well-grounded with advanced skills to resist the most sophisticated attacks on systems under their watch. This is one way to create a level-playing field between the good guys and the bad guys.
Cybersecurity experts are in high demand today, and if you’re looking for a job in this sector, this is your best chance. Land a job with these tips.
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