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How can I be a successful cyber security personnel?
How can I be a successful cyber security personnel
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Updated
Gina’s Answer
To become a successful cybersecurity professional, here are some steps you can take:
1. Education and Training: Obtain a degree in cybersecurity, computer science, or a related field. Consider pursuing certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), or CompTIA Security+.
2. Develop Technical Skills: Gain expertise in areas such as network security, encryption, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and incident response. Stay updated with the latest technologies and trends in cybersecurity.
3. Gain Practical Experience: Seek internships, entry-level positions, or volunteer opportunities in cybersecurity to gain hands-on experience. Participate in cybersecurity competitions or capture-the-flag events to enhance your skills.
4. Networking: Build a strong professional network by attending industry conferences, joining cybersecurity organizations, and connecting with professionals in the field. Networking can provide valuable insights, job opportunities, and mentorship.
5. Continuous Learning: Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field, so it's crucial to stay updated with the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and defense techniques. Engage in continuous learning through online courses, webinars, workshops, and reading industry publications.
6. Ethical Hacking: Consider learning ethical hacking techniques to understand how attackers exploit vulnerabilities. This knowledge will help you better protect systems and networks.
7. Communication Skills: Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. Cybersecurity professionals often need to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, so the ability to communicate effectively is essential.
8. Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills: Enhance your problem-solving and analytical skills to identify and mitigate security risks effectively. Develop a mindset that focuses on identifying vulnerabilities and finding solutions.
9. Stay Ethical and Legal: Always adhere to ethical and legal standards in your work. Cybersecurity professionals must respect privacy, confidentiality, and the law while protecting systems and data.
10. Professional Development: Engage in professional development activities such as attending workshops, pursuing advanced certifications, and seeking opportunities for career advancement.
Remember, cybersecurity is a vast field, so it's essential to specialize in specific areas based on your interests and career goals. Continuously learning, staying updated, and gaining practical experience will help you succeed in this dynamic industry.
1. Education and Training: Obtain a degree in cybersecurity, computer science, or a related field. Consider pursuing certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), or CompTIA Security+.
2. Develop Technical Skills: Gain expertise in areas such as network security, encryption, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and incident response. Stay updated with the latest technologies and trends in cybersecurity.
3. Gain Practical Experience: Seek internships, entry-level positions, or volunteer opportunities in cybersecurity to gain hands-on experience. Participate in cybersecurity competitions or capture-the-flag events to enhance your skills.
4. Networking: Build a strong professional network by attending industry conferences, joining cybersecurity organizations, and connecting with professionals in the field. Networking can provide valuable insights, job opportunities, and mentorship.
5. Continuous Learning: Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field, so it's crucial to stay updated with the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and defense techniques. Engage in continuous learning through online courses, webinars, workshops, and reading industry publications.
6. Ethical Hacking: Consider learning ethical hacking techniques to understand how attackers exploit vulnerabilities. This knowledge will help you better protect systems and networks.
7. Communication Skills: Develop strong communication and interpersonal skills. Cybersecurity professionals often need to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, so the ability to communicate effectively is essential.
8. Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills: Enhance your problem-solving and analytical skills to identify and mitigate security risks effectively. Develop a mindset that focuses on identifying vulnerabilities and finding solutions.
9. Stay Ethical and Legal: Always adhere to ethical and legal standards in your work. Cybersecurity professionals must respect privacy, confidentiality, and the law while protecting systems and data.
10. Professional Development: Engage in professional development activities such as attending workshops, pursuing advanced certifications, and seeking opportunities for career advancement.
Remember, cybersecurity is a vast field, so it's essential to specialize in specific areas based on your interests and career goals. Continuously learning, staying updated, and gaining practical experience will help you succeed in this dynamic industry.
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Jos as a cyber security analyst, you need to have a solid foundation in computer science, mathematics, and informatics. You should be familiar with the concepts and principles of computer networks, operating systems, cryptography, software development, and data analysis. You should also be able to use various programming languages, such as Python, Java, C, or SQL, to write scripts, automate tasks, and manipulate data. Additionally, you should be proficient in using cyber security tools, such as firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, penetration testing tools, and forensic tools, to monitor, protect, and investigate cyber incidents.
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
The above answers are great. Remember, as the others have said, there are lots of jobs in the Cybersecurity field that aren't "technical". This is a growing industry with many unfilled jobs. So don't let the field of cybersecurity scare you if you don't think you are technical.
Updated
Johann’s Answer
This site has a great map of the Cyber Security jobs available - https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html
Search for jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed for the areas you are interested. The job descriptions will have the qualifications needed. This will give you an idea of what high school, college and certifications to work towards.
Search for jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed for the areas you are interested. The job descriptions will have the qualifications needed. This will give you an idea of what high school, college and certifications to work towards.
Updated
Bruce’s Answer
There are different areas of cybersecurity. While they all fall under cybersecurity they have quite different skillsets.
For many cybersecurity positions a 4 year degree is helpful, but having the right certifications is more helpful. If you can do both then even better.
From the theoretical or "paper" side:
Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy
Compliance and Information Assurance
Risk Management and Supply Chain Risk Management
to name a few.
These rely less on technical knowledge and more on awareness of processes, best practices, governance, and research. A good non-technical certification like a CISSP is a good start with further specializations off that, or similar offerings.
The CASP+ and CySA+ are a little more technical than the (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) CISSP which is one of the best performing certifications, but they good as well.
On the technical side
For penetration testing, cybersecurity operations, cybersecurity engineering and security architecture, the CISSP is still a good certification, but definitely in combination with more technical certifications like the CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker). These all would benefit from technical degrees such as computer science, mathematics or computer engineering. I'm skeptical of Cybersecurity degrees as the field is rapidly changing and evolving that a 4 year program is likely way behind the current landscape and wouldn't keep up. Additionally the base core principles are root concepts that are simple enough to grasp, that a 4 year study is less useful than 6 months learning and 3 years experience applying them.
The keys to success are to learn as much as you can. And guess what, most of the resources you need are completely free.
NIST.gov pretty much sets the standard for cybersecurity and has a wealth of knowledge , guides, and frameworks. Most tool vendors offer demo versions of products or trials so you can set them up and learn them by your self. (Google, Microsoft, and Amazon also offer free cloud services for trial)
Problem solving: What you know is less important than how well you can apply what you do know. I've interviewed many cyber professionals and turned them down simply because they tried to guess at an answer to a question that was intentionally complicated and hard instead of saying a simple "I dont know, but I can try to google it"
Communication: As a starting professional you are not expected to know everything, but simply immediately responding to requests with I will check and get back with you, and then actually check and get back, shows that you are competent and reliable. That's more valuable than someone who knows the answer off the bat, but getting a response is like pulling teeth.
Whichever route you decide those two items are keys to doing well.
Finally, your first position is a learning experience, if it isnt challenging you significantly you are at the wrong company or job and need to move somewhere else. After 6 months in a really challenging position you should feel reasonably confident that you are not entry level. Between that 6 months and 12 months if your learning has slowed down you need to start looking to change jobs again for a mid level position. after 1-2 years at the mid level you should be senior.
If your job is not challenging you before you are in a senior position, then it is the wrong job for you. Settle for something not challenging when you have reached either your salary or workload goal.
Try to take one form of training or certification each year to expand your knowledge and scope.
Technical education or certs on different technologies like operating systems , security solutions or software suits are great additions as well.
For many cybersecurity positions a 4 year degree is helpful, but having the right certifications is more helpful. If you can do both then even better.
From the theoretical or "paper" side:
Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy
Compliance and Information Assurance
Risk Management and Supply Chain Risk Management
to name a few.
These rely less on technical knowledge and more on awareness of processes, best practices, governance, and research. A good non-technical certification like a CISSP is a good start with further specializations off that, or similar offerings.
The CASP+ and CySA+ are a little more technical than the (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) CISSP which is one of the best performing certifications, but they good as well.
On the technical side
For penetration testing, cybersecurity operations, cybersecurity engineering and security architecture, the CISSP is still a good certification, but definitely in combination with more technical certifications like the CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker). These all would benefit from technical degrees such as computer science, mathematics or computer engineering. I'm skeptical of Cybersecurity degrees as the field is rapidly changing and evolving that a 4 year program is likely way behind the current landscape and wouldn't keep up. Additionally the base core principles are root concepts that are simple enough to grasp, that a 4 year study is less useful than 6 months learning and 3 years experience applying them.
The keys to success are to learn as much as you can. And guess what, most of the resources you need are completely free.
NIST.gov pretty much sets the standard for cybersecurity and has a wealth of knowledge , guides, and frameworks. Most tool vendors offer demo versions of products or trials so you can set them up and learn them by your self. (Google, Microsoft, and Amazon also offer free cloud services for trial)
Problem solving: What you know is less important than how well you can apply what you do know. I've interviewed many cyber professionals and turned them down simply because they tried to guess at an answer to a question that was intentionally complicated and hard instead of saying a simple "I dont know, but I can try to google it"
Communication: As a starting professional you are not expected to know everything, but simply immediately responding to requests with I will check and get back with you, and then actually check and get back, shows that you are competent and reliable. That's more valuable than someone who knows the answer off the bat, but getting a response is like pulling teeth.
Whichever route you decide those two items are keys to doing well.
Finally, your first position is a learning experience, if it isnt challenging you significantly you are at the wrong company or job and need to move somewhere else. After 6 months in a really challenging position you should feel reasonably confident that you are not entry level. Between that 6 months and 12 months if your learning has slowed down you need to start looking to change jobs again for a mid level position. after 1-2 years at the mid level you should be senior.
If your job is not challenging you before you are in a senior position, then it is the wrong job for you. Settle for something not challenging when you have reached either your salary or workload goal.
Try to take one form of training or certification each year to expand your knowledge and scope.
Technical education or certs on different technologies like operating systems , security solutions or software suits are great additions as well.