Cybersecurity as a career: Everything you need to know as a beginner
NGN Training Center
Education that uplifts to new levels. PearsonVUE Certified ??
Increasing numbers and sophistication in cybercrimes have forced cyberspace experts to rethink the traditional cybersecurity measures used to tackle modern security threats. In times like the current where even the highest authority intelligence and security agencies like the CIA fail to protect its security, it is only apparent that in this battle of the pre-cyberwarfare era the bad side is winning. To cope with current digital security and privacy risks and to defend against the advanced and future-generation cyber threats, an army of cybersecurity professionals is direly needed. And the timing to start a career in the cybersecurity field couldn’t be more right.
Cybersecurity Job market scope?
Let me be very clear from the very beginning, some job markets are seasonal and can get lucrative and saturated as time changes. However, this is not the case with the job market of cybersecurity. There is always a high global demand for cybersecurity professionals no matter the time of the year or season. Let’s talk about some facts.??
The jobs in the cybersecurity field are growing at an unprecedented rate due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic as both users and companies become the targets of hackers and cybercriminals. The FBI revealed that during the pandemic cybercrimes increased to 400% and companies are now hunting for fresh talent to patch their vulnerabilities and to reinforce their security apparatus to tackle future risks.??
From an industry standpoint, excluding the boosted demand for security professionals due to the pandemic. There is a global shortage of highly trained cybersecurity professionals. According to experts, there are 3.8 Million cybersecurity jobs available out of which 1.8 Million are still unfilled. While this number is anticipated to increase by 2021.?
In a nutshell, the cybersecurity industry demand is outpacing the supply. In other words, there are more jobs available than there are professionals available. Cybersecurity professionals are required and are currently working in every industry including:??
Drivers behind the growth of the cybersecurity market?
There are a host of reasons why this industry has so many jobs than the professionals available. The unadulterated truth is that cybersecurity or technology is a technical and vast industry, to begin with. There are many categories of jobs available in the Information technology (IT) sector. And cybersecurity is one of the sub-sectors or small niche of the IT industry. And there are only a handful of people who are tech-savvy enough to get into this small niche. Below is a high-level overview of the reasons why cybersecurity industry demand continues to grow.??
1- Not enough professionals
Cybersecurity has further job types including penetration testers, data analysts, digital forensics experts, network security engineers, and so on. The point being, this is an area where high technical skills and hands-on experience is required.?
Not many people are willing to learn complex programming languages, go through extensive and expensive security training certifications to secure a job in this area. This is exactly why 40% of industry experts believe that cybersecurity job positions are extremely difficult to fill. While they also believe that cybersecurity professionals have a 0% unemployment chance.??
2- Companies are willing to invest heavily
When you are a cybersecurity expert with proper education, experience, and training, opportunities will be endless and the sky will be the limit. Digital security and privacy have become one of the biggest concerns of the corporate world and for technology users.
As cybercrimes are increasing rapidly with a low amount of innovative solutions are available, companies are willing to spend high amounts in acquiring security professionals with talent. This is a world where a cybersecurity breach can be the end of a business, therefore companies are always on the lookout to recruit fresh talent to join their IT teams. The latest cyberspace statistics reveal that global spending of companies on cybersecurity is going to surpass $170 Billion by 2022. This is just the tip of the iceberg, some established organizations also have annual “blank checks” when it comes to spending on improving cybersecurity infrastructure.??
3- The knowledge gap widens
Knowledge is ‘literally’ power when it comes to digital security and privacy. Lack of skills and knowledge is the biggest reason for most successful cybersecurity breaches and offenses. Unfortunately, both employees and technological applications and IoT devices users are not familiar with the latest cybersecurity risks, let alone have the knowledge to fend them off.????
The lack of cybersecurity awareness is one of the major factors that pose a direct threat to organizational security. A huge amount of individuals and employees do not know even the basics of digital security and have no idea how to protect and maintain personal digital wellbeing. This is exactly the reason why as high as 90% of successful cybersecurity offenses and breaches happen successfully due to human-errors.??
A survey conducted by SolarWinds also revealed that 80% of companies believe that their organizations are put at risk by mistake of their workers. Innocent users get tricked by clever and deceptive schemes of hackers and lose their private information and data. While unskilled employees fail to recognize a potential security threat and make poor choices that ultimately result in cybersecurity incidents.??
The demand for skilled and talented security professionals is increasing drastically due to reasons like the above. However, as time is progressing fast and rapid technological advancements are made, IT leaders still fear that the industry will face a huge shortage of skilled professionals years to come.??
Getting started: Here is how to land your first job in the cybersecurity market??
As established earlier, Information technology is a vast industry and cybersecurity is a small area within the IT industry. And cybersecurity itself have further different types of sub-areas of specialization that contributes directly towards making the world a digitally secure place. The major areas of cybersecurity where you can start can include the following:??
These are some of the areas where you can start a career as a beginner in the field. However, you will need proper education and training certifications to secure a job in the cybersecurity sector. Your education and experience will the vital elements that will determine your growth, position, and salary in any area that you choose to start a career in.??
You can find an in-depth overview of possible job opportunities in the field of cybersecurity by having a look at The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework), published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Let’s discuss some more about what type of education you will need to get the ball rolling.??
What to study? Certifications and degrees?
Your education and experience will determine how successful you are in your career, period. Cybersecurity is the area where if you lack even one of those two elements your success rate will hinder. Cybersecurity firms and tech-companies that employ field professionals require both education and experience from their applicants.??
Bechler’s, masters or higher education qualifies you for higher ranks and job positions that come with exclusive benefits and high paying salaries. While your experience and practical skills are required by employers so you can identify potential gaps in the security of your employing company and help them achieve their digital security goals.??
Hence, both your education and hands-on experience go hand in hand in making you successful in your career as a security expert. With that in mind, be informed that only 20% of students globally opt for studying and starting a career in the cybersecurity field. If you think you are one of those 20% of people, be prepared to study from the certifications listed below.??
Cybersecurity Training Certifications?
Training certifications play a crucial role in taking your career to the next level. Certifications are mandatory when it comes to particular areas of cybersecurity jobs. You cannot be deemed as eligible until you have the valid and appropriate level of training certification.??
As a newbie looking to start a career in the field of digital security, you have a wide range of certification options available. Each type of certification will open the door to endless opportunities related to a particular area of the field. For instance, if you have interests in hacking and want companies and businesses to help with your hacking skills. Then you can consider becoming a Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) and so on.??
Below are the most demanded and popular certifications that you can acquire to land a job in the cyberspace industry without having a degree in the first place.??
Do you need a degree??
To clear the air, despite you may have read online or heard from others you do not need a degree to be a successful cybersecurity expert. Let me ask you this, how many hackers and scammers on the internet have degrees according to your opinion? Probably none of them! This area of technology only requires knowledge, experience, and practical skills. This is why cyber hackers are continuously breaching even the most advanced cybersecurity defensive mechanisms of the companies. They know how things work and they use their skills to their advantage and they do all the cybersecurity espionage without having a degree.??
The same can be applied to you. Maybe you are a tech-savvy person from childhood or maybe you have a problem-solving mind and a gift when it comes to technology and computers. Whatever the case may be, you can start your career in the field of security without a degree. Because companies usually do require their applicants to have a bachelor’s level of education for entry-level jobs.?However, if you can showcase your skills and successfully impress your interviewers you can get hired in no time.??
Programming languages?
Having an in-depth command of multiple programming languages is vital in order to successfully start a career in the field of digital security. As a security expert, you will be given a number of complex situations and problems that you will be required to solve within the given period of time. These security loopholes and vulnerabilities will put all of your skills and knowledge to a test, as your employers will most likely require you to produce a countermeasure or patch the security vulnerabilities so hackers cannot take advantage of them.??
The best programming languages to learn to be a successful cybersecurity professional include the following:??
What becoming a cybersecurity professional can mean for you??
As established earlier, cybersecurity is one of the most secure and lucrative fields to start a career in. Apart from high job security and endless demand, there are a plethora of benefits that you can enjoy if you decide to start a career in cybersecurity. Let’s have a more detailed look at some of the most popular benefits of working as a cybersecurity professional.??
Salaries are sky high?
Cybersecurity is one of the highest-paying industries thanks to the increasing demand for skilled professionals. The average salary has risen by 16% to $82,500, with senior appointments reaching close to $200,000. The contract market is also booming, with rates starting from $350 per day and rising to $1,500. And per hour it can be more than $46 per hour.??
No end to the opportunities?
Cybersecurity offers a broad range of opportunities for professionals with the right skill set and knowledge. Entry-level IT jobs that pave the way for a cybersecurity career include systems administrator, web developer, ethical hackers, network administrators, database engineers, IT technician and computer software engineer and list goes on. From here, common career paths?include becoming a security architect, security manager, penetration tester, or chief information security officer that is considered as one of the highest paying jobs in the world.??
High job satisfaction?
Cybersecurity field professionals solve real-world problems and prevent cyber-attacks and organizational breaches from happening.?If it is not for the cybersecurity professionals the breaches caused by cybercrime organizations could result in the loss of millions and billions of dollars for the companies. Cybersecurity professionals are highly respected, appreciated in the industry and organization they work in.??
There is nothing like the right time?
The cybersecurity industry is always on the lookout for the rising talent. You can demand a job whenever you feel like it, and where ever in the world you want it when you have the right skills, certifications, and knowledge. There is no wait for the right time, there are job openings everywhere and all the time for the cybersecurity professionals.??
Job security for the long run?
Technology is a part of our lifestyle and this fact is not going to change in the future anytime soon. Hacking and data breaches are never going to be fully stopped. Cybercriminal organizations and hackers are rising and increasing every day with new tools and agendas. Having a job in the cybersecurity field ensures that your job will be safe and the salary will be on time every month. Because Cybersecurity professionals play critical roles in keeping companies and their customers’ data and information safe.?
Let NGN Training Center help you get started?
Cybersecurity is an ever growing field with almost a never-ending demand for talent. NGN training center offers state-of-art cybersecurity consultancy services and educational resources that you will need to build and enhance your career in cybersecurity. Book a free consultation and talk to one of our industry professionals today.??