Cybersecurity Career Roadmap – How To Start?

You can start your cybersecurity career roadmap without any prior experience, beginning a career in cybersecurity is not as difficult as you would imagine, nor does it necessitate a significant time or financial commitment. With some baseline training, you can transfer to a position in cybersecurity regardless of your background or prior experience.

Understanding the regional, societal, and global effects of cybercrime is one of the first stages toward a career in cyber security. These figures show not only that a career in cyber security is appealing, but also how important it is for every nation and sector to be ready to fight against hackers.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes.

Implementing effective cybersecurity measures is particularly challenging today because there are more devices than people, and attackers are becoming more innovative.

A successful cybersecurity approach has multiple layers of protection spread across the computers, networks, programs, or data that one intends to keep safe. In an organization, the people, processes, and technology must complement one another to create an effective defense from cyber attacks. A unified threat management system can automate integrations across select Cisco Security products and accelerate key security operations functions: detection, investigation, and remediation.

What Does Cybersecurity Mean For Your Business?

Cybersecurity is a business problem that has been presented as such in boardrooms for years, and yet accountability still lies primarily with IT leaders.

In the 2022 Gartner Board of Directors Survey, 88% of board members classified cybersecurity as a business risk; just 12% called it a technology risk. Still, a 2021 survey showed that the CIO, the chief information security officer (CISO) or their equivalent were held accountable for cybersecurity at 85% of organizations.

Organizations have become far more vulnerable to cyber threats because digital information and technology advancements are now so heavily integrated into day-to-day work. But the attacks themselves, which target both information and critical infrastructure, are also becoming far more sophisticated.

Cyber-risk incidents can have operational, financial, reputational and strategic consequences for an organization, all of which come at significant costs. This has made existing measures less effective, and it means that most organizations need to up their cybersecurity game.

Major Benefits Of Cybersecurity!

1. Prevention of data breaches and cyber-attacks
2. Protection of critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks
3. Improved security of internet-connected devices
4. better alignment of cyber security strategies with business goals
5. Greater visibility of cyber security risks across the enterprise
6. Enhanced security of cloud-based services

Cybersecurity Career Roadmap To Become A Cybersecurity Developer

Before we know about Cybersecurity Career Roadmap or becoming a Cybersecurity Developer, we must know what works Cybersecurity Engineers/Developers Do?

Let's get into the roles and responsibilities in Cybersecurity Career Roadmap

Here are some roles and responsibilities that a cybersecurity engineer/developer wants to follow!

• Evaluating the organization’s security needs and establishing best practices and standards accordingly
• Responding to all security breaches to the network and associated systems
• Troubleshooting all network and security issues and incidents
• Taking appropriate security measures to ensure that the organization's infrastructure and existing data are kept safe
• Handling routine daily administrative tasks such as reporting and keeping open lines of communication with the organization’s appropriate departments

Note that a cybersecurity engineer's job and responsibilities come very close to those of a security analyst. A cyber security engineer designs and builds systems, while a security analyst is more concerned with putting the system through its paces, trying to break it.

Cybersecurity Engineer/Developers Qualifications

The must-have qualifications for becoming a cybersecurity engineer/developers are as follows -

• Degree in Computer Science, IT, Systems Engineering, or a similar field
• Two years of work experience in cybersecurity-related duties such as incident detection and response, and forensics
• Proficiency in languages/tools such as C++, Java, Node, Python, Ruby, Go, or Power Shell
• Experience with the functionality, operation, and maintenance of firewalls and various forms of endpoint security
• Possess the right eye for detail and outstanding problem-solving skills
• Up-to-date knowledge of the latest cybersecurity trends and hacker tactics.
• The ability to work in a fast-paced environment, often under pressure

Please note that different organizations may demand more or fewer qualifications or attach lesser or greater importance to any of the above-given criteria.

Let Us Discuss The Salary Of A Cybersecurity Engineer/Developers

The average cybersecurity engineer's salary is around $101,000 a year, according to Glassdoor. Senior-level engineers earn an average of $145K annually, while beginners can look forward to $71K a year. Nice work if you can get it!

In India, a cyber security engineer’s salary averages ₹600,000 a year, while a similar engineer in Australia earns $95K and an engineer in the UK can make £47,048 annually.

It is obvious that the numbers given above will definitely fluctuate depending on the demand in your part of the world. But regardless of the range given above, a cyber security engineer can earn some serious pay.

What Is The Demand For Cybersecurity Engineers/Developers?

Cybersecurity is a growing industry that needs skilled professionals to fill entry, mid, and advanced-level jobs. Cybersecurity jobs are in high demand and the demand is expected to grow by 18% over the next five years.

By the end of 2021, there were approximately 3.5 million cybersecurity vacancies worldwide. The demand for cyber security engineers will continue to grow as businesses, governments, and other organizations rely more on digital platforms.

That’s the good news. The bad news (at least from a business owner’s perspective) is that there will be a corresponding widening skill gap regarding cyber security professionals.

A Forbes article from a couple of years back called cyber security, “the fast-growing job with a huge skill gap.” The article cites an ISACA report that predicted a world shortage of two million cybersecurity professionals by 2019. And here we are in 2022, and not only has the Forbes prediction come true, but the situation is also getting worse.

Here are some companies that are hiring cybersecurity engineers -

1. Deloitte
2. ManTech
3. Dynetics
4. Qualis
5. LookingGlass Cyber Solutions
6. Varonis Systems
7. Noblis
8. ICF
9. Pegasystems
10. Capital Group
11. Nike
12. Microsoft
13. Amazon (Amazon Web Services)

So, now you already know what a cybersecurity engineer does, what they make, and how secure the career is, you no doubt are curious about how to become one!

How Long Does It Take To Become A Cybersecurity Engineer?

Starting with a limited background, most people can get into an entry-level cyber security position within two to four years if they focus on acquiring education, experience, certifications, and security clearance.

For someone who has already been working in IT and has enough experience, a certification is a surefire way to quickly transition into this field.

Cybersecurity Books For Engineers

Although it’s a wise idea to obtain cybersecurity certifications, beginners can make the journey a little easier by engaging in some independent study, namely taking up some appropriate reading material.

• Cybersecurity For Dummies - Cybersecurity for Dummies is a great entry-level book that breaks down cybersecurity, what threats look like, and how you can protect yourself against them–whether it be shielding your family from cyber attacks or keeping your business information safe and secure.
• Cybersecurity: The Beginner’s Guide - This beginner’s guide to cybersecurity is excellent for any IT professional interested in learning more about cyber-attacks and threats. While it wouldn’t be the most accessible read for complete beginners in the field, those with a basic understanding of IT infrastructure will be able to follow and benefit from this book.
• Linux Basics for Hackers: Getting Started With Networking, Scripting, and Security in Kali - Linux Basics for Hackers teaches – you guessed it – the basics of Linux and how hackers would use them to cause security breaches in your systems. We’ve rated this book highly because it offers a tutorial-style guideline for advanced pentesting distribution of Linux and focuses on the basics to act as a building block for you on Kali Linux.
• Black Hat Python, 2ND Edition: Python Programming for Hackers and Pentesters - However, this book is a fantastic, unique read once you’re ready to dive in. It focuses on the stealthier side of Python and how hackers build and use programmed tools to steal (or attempt to steal) your information.
• Gray Hat Hacking: The Ethical Hacker’s Handbook, Sixth Edition - Hats off to Gray Hat Hacking, one of the best cybersecurity books about the most up-to-date digital strategies used to attack networks around the globe. Published in 2022, this book features the latest weapons, skills, and tactics that hackers with ill-intent use to pry their way into secure data systems.

What Requirements Are There To Becoming A Cybersecurity Engineer?

We have already seen the Cybersecurity Career Roadmap and the list of prerequisites to becoming a cybersecurity engineer. For starters, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in any field related to cyber security. Next, you need to get some years of work experience in cyber security under your belt. And the final step is to get a certification is one of the turning aspects in the Cybersecurity Career Roadmap.

Certification gives you additional skills and knowledge as well as provides verifiable evidence that you are well-trained for the position you’re applying for.

Here are some 10 most popular Cybersecurity certifications

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
4. CompTIA Security+
5. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
6. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
7. Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
8. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
9. GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
10. Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

A survey by (ISC) found that 70 percent of cybersecurity professionals surveyed in the US were required to have a certification by their employers. Security certification can also come with a salary boost of $18,000, according to the same study. The right credential can also make you more attractive to both recruiters and hiring managers.

Conclusion!

Cybersecurity is one of the most important aspects of the fast-paced growing digital world. The threats of it are hard to deny, so it is crucial to learn how to defend ourselves from them and teach others how to do it too.

Cybersecurity is important because it protects all categories of data from theft and damage. This includes sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), personal information, intellectual property, data, and governmental and industry information systems.

By Himanshu Mondhe