How to Make a Career in Cybersecurity

58% of companies worldwide have vacancies for cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity professionals are desperately needed in almost all small to medium-scale industries, and this is one of the industries that promises a 100% employment rate. 

The cost of cybercrime is predicted to be 9.5 trillion dollars in 2024. the average cost of a single ransomware attack is 1.85 million dollars. Cybercrime is growing at a rate of 15 % percent every year. Small to medium businesses are the target of most hackers, and only 14% of businesses are able to defend themselves from the attacks. Cyberattacks cause severe damage to the company's IT assets and disrupt normal operations. Cybersecurity careers are one of the fast-paced in the job market, with a median salary of $80,000.

Another interesting statistic about cybersecurity is that almost half of the organizations take between three to six months to fill a position with a qualified candidate. Most companies look for prior hands-on experience in cybersecurity before hiring a candidate. With such high demands and more expectations, how will you start your career in Cybersecurity? What are the career choices in cybersecurity? What is the salary range for jobs? Can a healthcare professional choose cybersecurity? Is software engineering required for a cybersecurity professionals?

Read this blog to know the answers for all these questions.

First and foremost, what is cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is the way to protect your devices, applications and organisation from threats like ransomware attacks, data breaches, identity theft and phishing schemes.

Data is everything in this digitalized world and with 100,000 of applications released everyday, privacy is getting vulnerable. To overcome those threats, every organization small or big, needs a cybersecurity professional in one form or the other.

Steps to Start Cyber Security Career:

1. Understanding cybersecurity and its Landscape
2. Educate yourself
3. Take some Internships
4. Networking is Important
5. Learning is the ladder
6. Create a Personal Brand

As technology advances, the world is facing more cyber threats every year. Ransomware assaults are making networking events more susceptible. The cyber threats have increased, and so has the need for cybersecurity professionals. 

The Career Path in Cybersecurity:

The fantasy statistics and promising salary has attracted more professionals to choose a path in cybersecurity.

1. Complete a few online courses in Cybersecurity.

Top online course providers like Coursera, Udemy, Simply Learn, Great Learning, and I are offering cybersecurity courses to help you improve your skills. Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Top Universities are also offering some basic cybersecurity courses like Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst, Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools and Cyber Attacks, Google IT Support, and many other beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses. 

Check out these Cybersecurity Courses that seem to be best for beginning your career in Cybersecurity

1. Cybersecurity Professional Certificate by Google

2. AWS-certified Security Specialty by Udemy

3. Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate by IBM

4. Cybersecurity Analyst by Microsoft.

2. Earn a degree in Cybersecurity.

The Top Universities, Institutions, and Colleges are now offering online certification courses for students and working professionals to pursue their careers in cybersecurity. Top Institutions are even offering M.Tech and M.Sc in Cybersecurity. It's a career path designed to accelerate the growth of the students to optimum heights after completing a master's. 

3. Start with an entry-level job based on your current experience.

i.Junior Penetration Tester:

Junior Penetration Tester is one of the entry-level jobs in cybersecurity that identifies the vulnerabilities of cyberattacks on computers, applications, and networks. Junior penetration testers are also responsible for an organization's cybersecurity defenses.

Salary: The salary ranges from 4.5 LPA – 5.0 LPA. 

Certification Recommendation: A certification in Penetration testing ( CPENT ) is recommended for this job.

Career Opportunity: Healthcare, Insurance, and IT companies have listed more than 20,000 vacancies in this growing field.

ii. Junior Crypanalyst:

A Junior Crypanalyst is responsible for analysing encrypted data and deciphering them while ensuring highly secured data transmission.

Salary: The average salary range for this job is 8.0 LPA – 14 LPA.

Certifications: CompTIA Pentest+ certification will help you grab the job with high pay. 

Career Opportunity: This is one of the high-demand roles in the industry.

iii. Junior Forensic Analyst:

They work on retrieving stolen or hidden data. They work on cyberattack cases, detect the evidence evidence, and try to solve the mystery. Other names for this role are digital media forensic analyst or cyber intel analyst.

Salary Range: the salary range for this job is 3.0 LPA – 6 LPA.

Certifications: Certifications like Certified Computer Examiner (CCE) and Certified Forensic Computer Examiner ( CFCE).

Career Opportunity: This is a growing field with more than 2000 job listings on LinkedIn. 

iv. Source Code Auditor:

Preventing security risks and enhancing the reliability of the software product are major parts of the job of a source code auditor. They also detect coding errors, security vulnerabilities, and compliance issues in the software and rectify them with a little guidance.

Salary: The salary range for this job is 3.0 LPA – 5.0 LPA.

Certifications: Certified Information Systems Security Professional ( CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager ( CISM ) are considered necessary certificates. A background in software engineering is highly advantageous for this position.

Career Opportunity: This is an in-demand job across all industries.

4. Choose Paid Internships

Large companies are offering internships for professionals to start their careers in cybersecurity. Try one of them.

Corporates and medium businesses are actively offering paid internships for students and professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in the cybersecurity world. Joining as an intern in companies will enhance your skills and career potential. By working with cyber professionals on various projects, you will also get more exposure to cybersecurity activities and current trends.

The role of a Cybersecurity Expert

Cybersecurity is a vast area, and there are many sections in which one might choose to become an expert. 

Security analyst, security architect, forensic analyst, network security engineer, IT auditor, information security specialist, and cybersecurity consultant are some of the high-demand jobs in cybersecurity as of Jan 2024.

Wrapping Up:

Every business organization, business, and non-profit needs a level of cybersecurity. The opportunities are limitless in this sector. Nearly half of the small to medium-sized companies are looking for cybersecurity professionals. If you are looking for a career in cybersecurity, I strongly recommend you start with an online cybersecurity course today. There are many online certification courses for beginners, either free or paid courses. Choose one based on your educational background and prior experience level and become a cybersecurity professional.