If you are an individual who wants to get into the cybersecurity industry but are wondering where should I start and what should you learn then you are at the right place. Trainers from ESS Institute, one of the most reputed Computer Institute in Dwarka answers all your concerns regarding your career in the Cybersecurity world
Who are cyber security analysts?
A cyber security analyst protects company hardware, software, and networks from cybercriminals. A cyber security analyst is responsible for protecting an organization’s computer networks and systems from cyber-attacks. They work to identify and mitigate any vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers.
What are the responsibilities of a cyber security analyst?
In a world, there is a broad portfolio of products and services, global networks, and coverage solutions to keep customers, partners, and staff connected, communicating, and working 24/7 365 days a year. But there are bad guys out in the world too who are working around the clock. This means our networks and the information they transmit can be susceptible to all kinds of nasty things.
So, the work of cyber security analysts covers all the areas of business from simply advising colleagues on password complexity, data loss mitigation and other security best practices to the other end of the spectrum protecting technical information related to assets, critical functioning, etc…
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CYBER SECURITY ANALYST:
- Monitor security events and incidents.
- Investigate security issues.
- Perform threat hunting.
- Configure and Monitor alerts from various security tools.
- Prepare use cases, policies and implement.
- Be responsible for executing consulting engagements in the areas of Security Strategy, Risk and Compliance, Data and Application security, Identity and Access Management, Security Incident and Event Management.
- Review the client contractual requirements.
- Proactively and dedicatedly identify project risks, security incident and report to the concerned terms.
- Support incident investigation and event analysis.
- Evaluate the current level of compliance to security framework.
What skills are necessary to be a successful cyber security analyst?
Alright, so, we will be discussing the fundamentals that you should know and learn before going ahead for cyber security analyst. Alright, let’s begin with the soft skills first that I think you should go ahead with.
- Quick Learner
- Problem Solving
- Enthusiast
- Patience
- Innovative
5 essential Technical Skills for cyber security analysts
- Networking and System Administration:
Networking is the backbone of the internet and one should have an in-depth knowledge of it. You must have a good knowledge of the TCP/IP and OSI Model. Learning it will help you understand the technical aspects of data transmission which will help you secure your data. You can take up Networking Certifications like Security Plus and Cisco CCNA to gain a strong networking foundation.
Additionally, you need to master System Administration. It’s all about maintaining and configuring computers. You must be curious to know every aspect of your computer features and settings. Carryout trial and error method and give yourself small tasks like recovering deleted files or monitoring old viruses on VM, explore new techniques, put them into use and expand your knowledge.
- Operating Systems and Virtual Machines:
You need to have a strong knowledge of all OS like Mac, Windows and Linux. To learn OS, you can go ahead, set up, use Virtual Machines (VMs) and play around with them. This will help you gain hands-on-experience and it will allow you to train and research in an isolated environment and will help you maximize your skills.
- Network Security Control:
It refers to the different measures which are employed to enhance the security of network. You must be able to leverage firewall to filter to filter and prevent any unauthorized traffic onto the network.
In addition, you must know about the Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and their relation to firewalls and router. You should be able to operate the IDs and recognize any violations and malicious traffic on the network.
- Coding languages:
Having zero coding knowledge may limit your opportunities in the future. Knowing a couple of programming languages will help you identify plan behind an attack and defend against deadly hacking techniques. There are many programming languages.
Like, C and C++ are the backbone of the most of the OS and are low level programming languages, whereas, Python is of high level. It will help you identify and fix vulnerabilities. Java Script is another high level programming language .Knowing this can help you prevent cross-site scripting attacks. Learning PHP will help you defend against intruders. HTML is one of the easiest languages to learn. Another one is Go Programming Language, it is great for cryptography.
Next we have SQL and Assembly Language as well. Hence, it is advised that you should be acquainted with a couple of languages. You can also do a crash course to earn them.
- Cloud Security:
Now, there is growing demand of cyber security professionals with cloud security skills. High demand is predicted for security skills applicable to hybrid cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure. Hence you should be able to implement procedures and technologies that can protect cloud based infrastructures and devices.
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But remember to become a Cyber Security Expert; you must possess a rich and diverse skill set, like:
- Risk Analysis: Identifying risks even before their arrival. Risk management and mitigation is a skill set i.e. going to be highly demanded.
- Information Security: Companies require professionals with skills that are authentication, authorization, malware analysis and data recovery.
- Incident Response: You are required to identify, manage, record and analyze security threats in real time. It can be active threat or a successful compromise of data or an attempted intrusion.
- Security Audit: It is an internal check i.e. carried out to find flaws in the organization information system. Security audit and Compliance knowledge are very crucial as any missed area could lead to hefty penalties.
- Law & Regulations: Knowing these laws & regulations and following the best practice will make you ethical at your job.
So, these are the skills that you should look for to become a Cyber security Analyst and to rule your field.
What is the scope of Security Analyst in India?
In India, internet users are increasing day-by-day and so is corporate digitalization. The level of cyber crimes are really high in India, as youths are more engaged in diving into the world of coding and hacking as it interests them to manipulate systems, learn and explore with no limits. Not every time they do it to indulge themselves in malpractices but sometimes they do.
- According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released last year, a total of 50,035 cases were registered in 2020 under cybercrime
- The first two months of 2022 reported more cyber crimes than the entire 2018, according to data by CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team). CERT-In is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats and operates under the information technology ministry.
But there is lack of that much efficient Cyber Security Analysts in our country. There are many but not enough. NASSCOM reports that despite having the largest IT talent pool in the world, India simply lacks skilled cyber security professionals. In fact, the need for experienced professionals is so high that companies are willing to pay a premium salary of over Rs 1.5 to 4 crore to top talents.
According to Cyber Security Ventures, there would be at least 5 million unfilled cyber security jobs globally in 2021, and there will 6 billion internet users by 2022. So, there is a huge demand of cyber security job roles in India, and has a good career scopes with far good packages.
As per an article published by Tanushree Basuroy, The cyber security market in India was valued at nearly 140 billion Indian rupees in 2019. With the growth in digital adoption, leading to increased attacks online, the market was estimated to reach close to 290 billion rupees by 2025.
What are some common challenges faced by cyber security analysts?
People often wonder about the difficulty level of whatever career path they are planning to go with. Here it’s worth noting that, based on the particular area of cyber security you pursue and the requirements of the actual work, jobs in this field can vary from moderately challenging to difficult. This may sound easy. But this is one of the challenging professions.
As a cyber security analyst, there are several challenges that you need to be aware of and work on constantly.
- They must work on new capabilities constantly to stay ahead of the curve.
- Additionally, they need to be able to understand the computing environment’s current vulnerabilities and the new ones that pop up now and then. This can be a difficult task, as technology changes rapidly.
- They are required to be on the top of their game by being updated about all the vulnerabilities as attackers identify them.
- Lastly, you need to be prepared to work flexible hours, as cyber security threats can occur at any time.
Either way, it is important to be prepared for anything when working in this field.
How to start your career in Cybersecurity in India?
As I have already discussed all the major skills you need to develop for being a Cyber Security Analyst, so, you first have to focus on developing those. Roadmap is like-
- Learn the basics of cyber security (with Certification)
- Start with self exploring
- Get experience in the field (with Certification)
- Join a professional organization
- Stay up to date on the latest trends
Hopefully, I have summed up all those important areas that one considers while opting his/her career as cyber security analyst. So, stop wondering, go through this article and give yourself a kick.
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