Do you want to work as a cybersecurity analyst?

As technology evolves, the threats that come along with it are also dawning over the heads of its consumers. Hackers across the globe continue to apply new and advanced hacking techniques to gain access to organisation's delicate data.

According to IDC Worldwide Semiannual Security Spending Guide, $133.8 Billion is the forecasted global spending on security solutions in 2022.

Also, Forbes reports that corporate sector witnessed a 50 per cent increase in cyberattacks in 2021. As per this report Education and Research sector was worst affected with an increase in attacks by 75 per cent, followed by the health sector up by 71 per cent, managed service providers, internet service providers up by 67 per cent, government and military sector up by 47 per cent. Thus, creating a massive demand for cybersecurity analysts to counter such massively growing attacks.

Interestingly, a recent NASSCOM report emphasizes the rapid growth of the cybersecurity domain in India through the following figures- "the cyber security field is expected to bring in $35 billion in revenues, and create about a 10 lakh jobs in India by 2025."

As the world embraces newer technology and has transformed into an interwoven network of computing devices, putting strategic cybersecurity measures in place has gained importance. Moreover, this is the right time to venture into a cyber security analyst's fascinating and challenging career.

Skill sets that are hallmark of a Cybersecurity analyst

To deal with malware and security breaches, a cyber security analyst must have a diverse set of abilities.

Some of the most critical skills for a cyber security analyst are:

Scripting: Scripting is a type of coding which brings dynamicity to images and text and makes them more interactive. Honing skills to build tools and automate repetitive tasks with languages like Python or PowerShell is the key to becoming a security analyst.

Controls and frameworks: A control is identified as steps taken by the organisation to protect it from vulnerabilities and attacks. A Cybersecurity framework comprises a set of best practices, policies, tools, and security protocols for securing your organisation's data and business operations.

The most common Cybersecurity frameworks a Cybersecurity analyst should be aware of are:

l Center for Information Security (CIS)

l National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

l System and Organisation Controls 2 (SOC 2)

l International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)

Intrusion detection skills: One of the essential traits of a Cybersecurity analyst is diligently monitoring network activities to detect possible intrusions. Therefore, skills in handling intrusion detection software such as intrusion detection systems (IDS), security information and event management (SIEM) products, and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are vital to building a career in the cybersecurity domain.

Audit and compliance

A security analyst is expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the organization's adherence to security guidelines. Knowledge of security audit and compliance is mandatory for a security analyst as any misunderstanding will incur huge penalty for the organisation.

Network security control

Networks of connected devices which enable organizations to collaborate resources can prove fatal as cyberattacks are common across such computer networks. Cybersecurity analysts should understand wired, wireless networks and various security measures.

Operating systems

Security threats prevail across all types of operating systems. As a Cybersecurity analyst, you must be familiar with working on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Cloud skills

95 per cent of organisations are expected to possess cloud workloads by 2025. Cybersecurity analysts must understand the cloud environment and develop cloud security skills to strive in this competitive arena.

DevOps

As organisations have identified the importance of implementing security measures in their software development and operations activities, the need to gain DevOps skills has become mandatory for Cybersecurity analysts.

Professional cyber security certifications are available to aid people in understanding the latest tools and software to help fight against cyber security. Moreover, there are academic cyber security certifications designed for aspiring professionals to provide them with intense background in the cyber security field.

From my experience helping professionals to grow as competent cloud security experts through our organisation's training offerings, I would recommend earning the following certifications will help you to groom as a competent cloud security professional: Exam SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals, exam SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst, exam SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator, exam SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator, AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies, and SC-100: Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect.

Importance of certifications in the Cybersecurity profession

One distinguishing feature of the Cybersecurity field is the availability of a variety of certifications that equip working aspiring professionals with certain abilities. Many job vacancies and career opportunities in cybersecurity involve some level of certification, so it is important to keep track of which credentials are in demand based on a profession track or job category.

Professional certification also may help aspiring professionals to get their first job in the cybersecurity area. Also, if aspiring professionals are fascinated by ethical hacking and want to design the best protection systems available, a job in cyber security is ideal for them.

(The author is the Founder & CEO, CloudThat)