Cyber security is an activity to protect computer systems against various cyber attacks or cyber crimes.
Typically, cyber security will help companies protect essential assets such as applications, computing, services, and different information sent or stored in the cyber environment.
Cybersecurity is tasked with minimizing and avoiding the occurrence of cybercrimes that are capable of stealing and even misusing company assets.
The most common cyber crimes recorded by BSSN are malware, trojan activity, and information gathering or collection of information to look for security holes. The need for digital talent with cybersecurity skills is increasing with the rise of cyber attacks.
The interesting fact is that the figure of cybersecurity is not only needed in official government institutions but also much needed by private companies.
Suppose you are interested in getting into this field. In that case, you must first understand the skills, responsibilities, and career prospects in the cybersecurity field. Curious? Keep reading this article to find out the answer!
Cybersecurity Required Skills
The demand for experts in the field of cybersecurity continues to increase. It is predicted to become one of the most sought-after professions in 2022. This is due to the many threats of digital world crime that lurk.
Careers in cybersecurity are pretty diverse and can be found in various industries. However, to get into this professional field, make sure you already have some of the skills that every cybersecurity expert needs.
Hard Skills Required
Experts in the field of cybersecurity need to equip themselves with technical capabilities and knowledge of the latest technology applications. Here are some of them:
1. Programming
A basic understanding of programming languages is fundamental for every cybersecurity expert to measure the possibility of an attack on the system and to design anticipatory plans regarding this in the future.
Programming languages such as C, C++, Perl, PHP, Java, and Shell can also help a cybersecurity expert understand the backend of a system.
In addition to programming languages, an expert in the field of cybersecurity also requires knowledge of system architecture, management of operating systems, virtualization software, administration, and networking.
2. Risk analysis and mitigation
A cybersecurity expert is required to be able to identify existing threats. That is why ability in the field of analysis and risk mitigation is one of the skills companies look for in every cybersecurity expert.
Risk mitigation in cyberspace refers to policies and processes created by companies to prevent data and security breaches and limit the level of damage when an attack occurs on a system.
There are three components in mitigating threats to cybersecurity, namely:
1. Threat remedies, strategies, and tools used to reduce the impact of active security threats that have managed to infiltrate the company’s security defense network system
2. Threat prevention, actions to protect company applications and data from cyber-attack threats
3. Threat identification, tools, and security management to identify active security threats
3. Intrusion detection
Many companies are starting to realize that every system is vulnerable to hacking. That is why an expert in the field of cybersecurity is also expected to be able to reduce the risk of this happening with its ability to detect intrusions.
With these skills, a cybersecurity expert can detect activities that have the potential to harm the system before a breach or attack occurs.
4. Cloud security
This one skill is also an essential skill that has recently been sought after by cybersecurity experts, considering that many companies are starting to use cloud-based services.
Cloud-based services are known to be vulnerable to several cybersecurity risks, such as data breaches and account hacking. This skill is needed to ensure that data stored on cloud-based services are safe.
5. Malware analysis
Malware threats are a severe problem faced by cybersecurity experts. They must be proactive in a skills approach related to digital threat management.
Because companies need to make a quick recovery after a threat to their site.
It is not surprising that in a company, Cybersecurity experts really need their presence, especially their expertise in analyzing malware.
6. Encryption
The demand for encryption skills among cybersecurity professionals is growing as companies recognize that cyberattacks are vulnerable and even more challenging to identify and prevent.
One of these skills is needed when a company is faced with a worst-case scenario, such as when experiencing a threat where hackers try to access and steal your business’ personal data. Still, the security team fails to detect it directly.
In a scenario like this, encryption is needed as a last resort to protect existing data because encrypted data cannot be accessed without an encryption key.
In addition to the above technical skills, several companies require every cybersecurity expert to have a certification as proof of professional knowledge in that field. Some of the certifications that are commonly sought include:
- OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)
- GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler)
- CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
- CISA (Certified Information Security Auditor)
- CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
Soft Skills Required
In addition to technical abilities, there are several non-technical skills that are needed by experts in the field of cybersecurity, such as:
- Problem solving ability
- Attention to every detail
- Ability to communicate
- The desire to continue learning
- Analytical ability
Cybersecurity Responsibilities
Generally, cybersecurity in a company has the following responsibilities and duties:
1. Protect software and database systems for testing and analysis of system leaks
2. Build and maintain company security systems
3. Implement and oversee security and company computer networks
4. Fixed a system leak during an attack
5. Checking things that are suspected to be weaknesses in the database system to improve its security
6. Test the security of enterprise systems
Career Prospects
Cybersecurity career prospects are up-and-coming. Many large companies are hiring for this position because they need someone who can protect corporate network systems and databases.
According to Glassdor, the average salary for cyber security in US is $76,002/year.
Interestingly, if you don’t want to work full time, you can also become freelance cyber security; you can choose two paths: bug hunter or system security.
Usually, bug hunters are paid per bug or system weakness found. In contrast, system security is generally paid per hour or according to project agreements.