The Top Five Job Roles for Certified Cybersecurity Technicians

Cyberattacks increased by 50% globally between 2020 and 2021 alone (Check Point, 2022). As a result, demand is rising throughout the United States and internationally for cybersecurity professionals with the breadth of training and experience necessary to handle these growing cyberthreats. This represents an attractive and rewarding opportunity for anyone interested in starting a career in the fast-growing field of cybersecurity: In the United States, available information security analyst positions are expected to increase by 33% between 2020 and 2030 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), and the average salary for a cybersecurity technician is USD 82,541 (ZipRecruiter, 2022).

EC-Council’s Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) is a baseline cybersecurity certification program that teaches learners the fundamental techniques and knowledge necessary for starting or advancing a career in information security. In the C|CT course, learners develop a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity that prepares them to succeed in their future endeavors in the industry, including gaining attractive employment opportunities and achieving additional accreditation in their chosen specializations.

Top Job Roles and Responsibilities for Certified Cybersecurity Technicians

EC-Council’s C|CT certification provides participants with strong foundational skills in cybersecurity, including ethical hacking, Internet of Things (IoT) security, and application security. This means that C|CT-certified professionals have the option to pursue a wide range of roles and responsibilities depending on which cybersecurity niche most interests them.

1. Security Operations Center Analyst

Security operations center (SOC) analysts play an essential role in frontline IT security teams. SOC analysts are responsible for reporting malicious activity and implementing security protocols or changes to defend against cyberattacks. SOC analysts earn USD 86,528 per year on average in the United States (Indeed, 2022a).

The responsibilities of a SOC analyst include:

◉ Analyzing potential and incoming threats

◉ Analyzing network vulnerabilities

◉ Investigating and reporting on information security issues and trends

◉ Searching for and responding to newly discovered hardware and software vulnerabilities

◉ Creating disaster recovery plans

2. Network Engineer

Network engineers set up and maintain computer systems throughout an organization. Their goal is to ensure that all hardware is optimized and maintained to ensure the integrity of the network and the organization’s infrastructure, including working with cybersecurity teams to ensure that networks are adequately protected. Cybersecurity professionals in this position are responsible for designing and maintaining network infrastructure, installing firewalls, and providing support and troubleshooting to security teams and clients. The average network engineer in the United States earns USD 90,379 per year (Indeed, 2022b).

The responsibilities of a network engineer include:

◉ Developing and establishing the network environment

◉ Designing and implementing new solutions to improve network resilience

◉ Troubleshooting network errors and outages

◉ Scheduling network upgrades

◉ Securing networks by establishing and maintaining policies

◉ Creating and supporting firewalls

◉ Providing remote support to cybersecurity teams and customers

3. IT Manager

IT managers ensure that all employees in an organization have the appropriate IT hardware and software to do their jobs effectively and safely. They may also coordinate with other departments, such as HR or finance, to ensure all data is secured. This requires a robust understanding of cybersecurity, which students are taught in the C|CT certification course. The average salary for an IT manager in the United States is USD 89,111 per year (PayScale, 2022).

The responsibilities of an IT manager include:

◉ Managing and coordinating IT staff

◉ Managing and evaluating electronic and data operations

◉ Managing computer systems and IT equipment within the organization

4. Ethical Hacker

An ethical hacker identifies security vulnerabilities by testing an organization’s security and network infrastructure using the same techniques and approaches that a malicious hacker would. Ethical hackers may attempt to hack into an organization’s networks, web servers, and applications, in addition to testing for susceptibility to social engineering tactics. The results of an ethical hacker’s tests allow an organization to amend any vulnerabilities relating to current security threats the organization is likely to face. In the United States, the average ethical hacker earns an annual salary of USD 102,764 (Salary.com, 2022).

An ethical hacker’s responsibilities include:

◉ Determining the initial scope of the assessment

◉ Attempting to hack into the organization’s network (with the organization’s consent)

◉ Reporting all security breaches and vulnerabilities to the organization

5. Cybersecurity Technician/Cybersecurity Engineer

EC-Council’s C|CT certification also prepares students for careers as cybersecurity technicians or cybersecurity engineers. Cybersecurity engineers use their technical IT knowledge, combined with penetration testing, ethical hacking, and other skills, to strengthen an organization’s network security. A cybersecurity technician’s role typically involves designing information security plans and working with other departments within the organization to execute those plans. The average salaries for cybersecurity technicians and cybersecurity engineers in the United States are USD 82,541 and 120,455, respectively (ZipRecruiter, 2022a, 2022b).

Other typical responsibilities for a cybersecurity technician or engineer include:

◉ Troubleshooting security issues

◉ Responding to security breaches

◉ Communicating security protocols to other departments

◉ Identifying network vulnerabilities using penetration testing and ethical hacking techniques

Source: eccouncil.org