Careers in Cyber Security
From private individuals to multinational organisations and national governments, we hear stories all too often of cyber security breaches or hacking seriously affecting technology systems. According to IT security experts, Norton, there is an attack about every 39 seconds around the world. Clearly, it’s super important that we all know how to keep ourselves safe online but there is also a growing need for cyber security professionals to help keep all of us safe too.
Ways to develop your coding and cyber skills
There are range of opportunities and resources available, many of which are free, that can help you work on your skills, including:
CoderDojo
Free, local coding clubs worldwide for young people.
Code Club
A global network of free coding clubs for 9–13 year olds, where they can create games, animations and
web pages using Scratch, Python or HTML/CSS.
Cyber Security Challenge
Competitions designed to test cyber skills, created by industry professionals looking for the next
generation of cyber defenders.
www.cybersecuritychallenge.org.uk
CyberFirst
Developing the UK’s future cyber professionals through student bursaries, courses and competitions. For 11–17 year olds.
Cyber Explorers
A fun, free interactive learning platform for those aged 11-14. It showcases how skills taught in class are linked to real world situations, through an immersive, gamified learning experience.
https://www.cyberexplorers.co.uk/
NCSC
The National Cyber Security Centre website contains a lot of information on both academic and professional qualifications in cyber security.
It is estimated that there is currently a shortfall of about 350,000 cyber security experts across the world, and that is predicted to grow to almost 2 million in the next few years. Because of that shortage, it also tends to be an industry that pays better than average salaries. Clearly, there has never been a better time to think about a career in cyber security. But what type of skills do you need and how do you get into it?
There is a huge range of roles available to suit a wide range of skills, whether you are natural leader, a great manager or a self-confessed coding geek. For example, Blockchain Developers will use their knowledge and skills of many different programming languages and systems to ensure that data and digital transactions are secure. As well as extensive coding skills, they are likely to be people with great problem-solving skills who are great at logic and processes. By contrast, a Cyber Security Project Manager will be leading teams of people to develop security systems for an organisation. Although they will need an understanding of the technical structure of systems, they are more likely to be great organisers and communicators.
What sort of skills, in general, do people working in cyber security need? Perhaps first and foremost is a willingness to learn: as you would expect, coding, programming and related technologies are constantly developing so cyber security experts need to be quick to learn about anything new. They also need strong logical thinking and problem-solving skills: these technologies all have operating systems that work in ordered ways so the ability to think in a structured, forensic way to understand them is essential. In almost all cases, cyber security experts won’t work alone so they will also need team working and communication skills to share information and engineer solutions together.
What is clear is that many young people are developing many of these skills through their hobbies, activities like gaming and coding. And many organisations are recognising that just one entry route won’t suit all applicants. There are Traineeships, Apprenticeships and Degree courses in cyber security, to allow a wide range of study and training options.
Just this year, a case made the headlines when a group of hackers, including teenagers, were arrested for their illegal online activities. Fortunately, many young people are realising that they can use their skills both legally and for positive purposes by working in the world of cyber security. If you are curious about how things work, how devices interact with each other and what vulnerabilities these gadgets have, perhaps a career in cyber security would suit you?
Here are some of the jobs in cyber security:
Information Security Analyst
Information security analysts have the responsibility of creating plans and strategies for preventing cyber attacks. They are essentially the protectors of sensitive information, and they ensure that policies are being followed. Their main jobs include monitoring systems and networks, detecting threats, analysing and assessing issues, and generally protecting IT infrastructure from criminal activity.
Cyber Security Consultant
Consultants provide business solutions for their organisation or clients, and cyber security consultants do the same thing in the cyber security sphere. They assess all security measures, propose improvements and then oversee implementations of new measures.
Ethical Hacker
If you’re interested in learning more about cyber criminals and how they work, you might want to become an ethical hacker. It is their job to carry out advanced penetration tests on a company’s system and check if there are any weaknesses or breaches in their security.
Network Engineer
Network engineers are responsible for dealing with computer networks. They are technical experts, and it is their job to set up networks, look after them and offer technical support to users of the network. There are both hands-on and computer-based aspects to this role.
Blockchain Developer
Blockchain developers create and develop innovative systems as a response to challenges such as hacking. Important skills that blockchain developers need include blockchain architecture, knowledge of data structures, web development, smart contract development and cryptography.
Cyber Security Project Manager
If you’re a cyber security specialist who also wants to take on a leadership role, working in project management could be the perfect choice. They coordinate with other cyber security specialists through different stages of a project and ensure that targets are met within a particular time frame and budget.
Digital Forensic Analyst
If you want to be directly involved in investigating cyber criminals, you might consider being a digital forensic analyst. They work closely with the police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate criminal activities and catch cyber criminals.
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
If you’re already working in the cyber security field and want to turn it up a notch, you might consider becoming a chief information security officer, or CISO. This is a senior role, where you will have many years of experience in various cyber security jobs under your belt.
Security Architect
As the job title suggests, security architects are responsible for creating and designing security for a system. They also develop architecture patterns and new security approaches for technologies. If you have an analytical mind, enjoy designing programs and love working with data, this might be the perfect role for you.
Security Software Developer
If you’re a big fan of coding and love the idea of creating software, this job will suit you. It combines the technical knowledge of writing and developing software with an interest in security and the current threat landscape.