Who Is a Secure Cyber Professional and What Do They Do?

The growth of cybercrime puts government agencies and organizations at risk of constant threats from cybercriminals. Furthermore, a well-fortified website or network can still be a victim of any cyberattack. This is why organizations need to have a cybersecurity strategy and always perform cyber hygiene all the time.

The cybersecurity profession is a growing one, and you need to have a certificate, an advanced degree to get a lucrative career. This is because cybersecurity professionals play a significant role in protecting businesses from cybercriminals.

Who Is A Cybersecurity Professional?

Cybersecurity professionals help in securing the information systems of an organization. A security expert helps an organization coordinate and implement information security policies. They use their skills to apply multi-layer security policies for defending IT infrastructure from malware, web threats, viruses, phishing, DoS attacks, etc.

Why Do Cybersecurity Professionals Matter?

Cybercriminals can cause severe damages to network, intellectual property, business data through viruses, theft, data mining, intrusions, and so on. However, cybercriminals help to resolve highly complex security issues and keep cyber crime at bay.

Furthermore, they help secure businesses and ensure continuity through their analysis skills, incident handling, reverse engineering, forensics, and monitoring and diagnosing vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity experts also recommend mitigation of cyberattacks and recovery and the protection of software and hardware issues.

Types of Cyber Threats that Secure Cyber Professionals Address

There are lots of opportunities available that cybercriminals can use for attacking a network to get personal and sensitive information. Some of the types of cyber threats are stated below.

Malware

The main purpose of malware is to destroy a computer. Malware can be in the form of an ad that you click on, a rogue software meant to keep your network safe but actually installs malicious intent, a virus that you accidentally installed, or something that infects your files.

Phishing

This is the process of using emails, SMSs, and other forms of communication to gather sensitive information like credit cards, bank account, and other personal details.

Denial of Service (DoS)

This is a type of cyberattack that occurs when a server or network is bombarded with messages that request authentication in an attempt to lock an individual or company out.

Man in the Middle

This is the process where a person with malicious intent intercepts important emails between two parties to get delicate information.

Password Attack

This is the attack process where a cybercriminal tries to access your passwords to take over your system or network.

Is Cybersecurity a Good Career Option?

With almost 3 million job vacancies globally, cybersecurity is an obviously attractive industry to be in.  Day after day, more and more security breaches are making headlines and organizations are eagerly hunting for skilled cybersecurity professionals to shore up their defenses.

Average Salary of a Cybersecurity Professional

The average salary of a cybersecurity professional in the US, according to Zip Recruiter, is $112,441 per annum, and the highest averaging $199,500 per annum. However, employment opportunities and salary potential depend on regional market conditions, credentials, education, experience, and students’ willingness to learn and grow.

What Kind of Jobs Are There in Cybersecurity?

Some of the most popular job roles in the cybersecurity industry are Ethical Hackers, Application Security Engineer, Director of Information Security, Senior Security Consultant, Security Architect, Penetration Tester, Chief Information Security Officer, Risk Manager, Security Engineer, and Information Manager, among others.

How to Become A Cybersecurity Professional?

If you are mulling over a shift in your career or just looking for a transition from your existing industry before you decide, you must ask the following questions to yourself:

◉ What skills do I bring to cybersecurity?

◉ Based on my skills, what other certifications shall I acquire?

◉ Do I need to acquire any technical education also?

◉ What sort of opportunities does my certification bring?

◉ What is the validity and credibility of the certification that I am planning to acquire?

While it is true that you don’t need to be a technical expert, acquiring the proper skills and knowledge required for the position is a must.

EC-Council offers distinct cybersecurity programs, including certification programs, continuous learning programs, and micro degrees. The various programs specialize in various cybersecurity streams, and your selection should be based on the one that you want to be an expert. One such program that can help you propel your career in cybersecurity is the secure cyber professional.

The Secure Cyber Professional

Nowadays, businesses are being run over network-connected devices, which makes everyone a target to cybercriminals. This is why it is best to ensure all employees undergo regular cybersecurity content and awareness training.

In this course, you will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to protect your information assets. Furthermore, you will get a fundamental understanding of the numerous computer and network security threats like email hoaxes, credit card fraud, identity theft, online banking phishing scams, hacking attacks, and so on.

You will also learn about the numerous injection security, spoofing attacks, password attacks, and session hijacking. This means by the end of this course, you will be knowledgeable about the emerging threats in cybersecurity, and you can easily take precautionary measures to keep your data secure.

Source: eccouncil.org