With global corporate in a turmoil due to Covid-19, there has been a concerning increase in cyber-attacks and data breaches. Considering that more and more employees are asked to work from home, the probabilities of these attacks are going to further rise in the future.
Therefore, companies are relying on cybersecurity experts to protect them from such threats that can cost millions. Hence, students who are pursuing a career in cybersecurity will be witnessing more opportunities in the future.
A career in cybersecurity is an excellent choice for many reasons including:
We are fastly moving towards a digital future:
With the world becoming more digital, there has been increasing emphasis on cybersecurity. A data breach can cost companies millions and also impact their reputation. Therefore, organisations hire cybersecurity professionals to bolster their systems and networks. From start-up to big conglomerates, everyone is looking for cybersecurity professionals.
Versatility:
As the tech world evolves, the threats also become more complex. So the world of cybersecurity is also changing constantly to deal with new threats. With passing times, new roles emerge, which allows the professional to have immense learning opportunities. There is a wide range of fields within cybersecurity that you can choose based on your knowledge, interest level, and skillset.
Lucrative profession:
Presently, the demand for proficient cybersecurity professionals exceeds the supply. Therefore, corporates are hiring cybersecurity professionals at impressive salary packages even at the base level. It is undoubtedly one of the lucrative industries right now, which is only predicted to grow in the coming years.
A job that makes an impact:
Cybersecurity is a highly responsible field where every step or process makes a considerable impact. The influence of this field goes beyond digital boundaries and works to make the overall operation of a business efficient. So, cybersecurity professionals working on different levels collectively ensure that the core operation of a company is not hindered by any digital threat.
As the digital landscape is growing continuously, a career in cybersecurity is not only lucrative but also comes with immense learning and growth opportunities.
Required skills
Following are certain must-have skills in a successful cybersecurity professional:
Intrusion detection:
A security professional should know how to effectively operate intrusion detection software and determine any suspicious movement within the network as well as system.
Analytics and intelligence:
Security professionals must be able to execute analytics and intelligence to gather relevant data and identify threat or attack as soon as possible.
SIEM management:
A security professional will need to generate automation with SIEM and leverage the alert analysis to form an incident response plan. Therefore, the ability to efficiently manage SIEM is an important skill.
Leadership:
A security professional needs to exhibit leadership via ethics, responsiveness, and credibility. He or she must thoroughly understand the risks and should be able to extend quick actionable insights.
Passion for learning:
The sphere of cybersecurity is constantly evolving with growing complexities of threats. Therefore, a cybersecurity professional must be dedicated to learn and evolve with the changing scenarios and stay updated with the industry.
Team spirit:
Cybersecurity encompasses various aspects that work together to protect a network. These professionals have to communicate on different levels to make sure that the laid-out security policies are rightly in place and followed by all.
(The author is the co-founder and CEO of an analytics training institute)