How To Develop A Successful Career In The Cybersecurity Field

Cybersecurity Beyond the Boardroom

Technology is an integral part of daily life. Now, more than ever, it is essential to protect technology from cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity jobs continue to grow as more regulation and security incidents impact people’s lives. The cybersecurity industry suffers from a lack of qualified candidates to deal with the constant attack on organizations’ security systems and assets. 

In this article we’ll discuss the impact of cybersecurity on businesses; essential soft skills for any cybersecurity professional; how to stay up-to-date in the cybersecurity field; critical knowledge for cybersecurity professionals; the trial-and-error process of the cybersecurity career path; and how to gain more cybersecurity experience.

The Impact of Cybersecurity Threats on Business

It’s no wonder many analysts regularly identify cybersecurity threats as one of the top two issues facing business today. This results in data security risks, fines from government entities, and damage to reputations.

Security professionals at all levels not only know the most current security concepts and industry trends, but they also know the most recent privacy and security regulations, like the new California Consumer Privacy Act of 2020, which gives consumers more control over their data.

When a security incident occurs, companies are often fined, executives are fired, customers may leave, and an organization‘s reputation takes a hit. Cybersecurity experts help companies avoid the headaches of a cyberattack by keeping their security strategy and operations up to date.

Essential Soft Skills for Cybersecurity Professionals

A successful cybersecurity career requires technical expertise, soft skills, and acceptance of a trial-and-error culture. There are several reasons why companies cannot find the skilled cybersecurity professionals they need. One of the most common reasons is that there are not enough qualified cybersecurity professionals who have both technical and soft skills.

It’s important for any cybersecurity professional to develop the following soft skills:

• Communication skills
• Collaboration skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Patience
• Adaptability
• Flexibility

How To Stay Up-to-Date With Constant Cybersecurity Changes

Organizations will change their product offerings, services, and locations based on cybersecurity breaches and ongoing threat assessments.

Aspiring cybersecurity professionals will want to develop good work habits, including the capacity to work methodically, to be successful in this dynamic field. 

The following critical skills will come in handy for staying up-to-date with the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape:

• Flexibility
• Continuous education
• Being a scrum member

Critical Knowledge for Cybersecurity Professionals

Organizations will create new jobs for cybersecurity engineers based on needs following a security attack. Cybersecurity positions within organizations are not static. It’s important for cybersecurity professionals to be well-versed in security set ups and foundational knowledge. 

Any good cybersecurity professional knows how to examine a company’s security setup holistically. This includes threat modeling, specifications, implementation, testing, and vulnerability assessment. They also understand security issues associated with operating systems, networking, and virtualization software.

A good cybersecurity professional also has knowledge of the following:

• Risk Management – Foundation skills in risk, compliance, and auditing helpful
• Network Security – Hands-on experience helpful
• Network Protocols – Relevant experience in network protocols and ports
• Incident Response – Analytical skills helpful
• Intrusion Detection – Technical background in IDS, IPS, and Host-based helpful
• System Administration – Background in security concepts helpful

Embracing Trial and Error in Cybersecurity Careers

Accepting the concept of trial and error is critical for any cybersecurity candidate. Like other career paths, many people in the early days of cybersecurity did not attend a formal school to learn the craft. 

Many early practitioners learned cybersecurity by picking up a manual or learning as they went along. For example, in the late 1990s, the idea of a firewall looked more like an extended access control list on a Cisco router. Setting up a firewall looked similar to loading a server application in a single computer device with two cables coming in and out. One for the “clean” and the other for the “dirty” network. There was no formal education around deploying firewalls, not even a single Youtube video.

Technology is far from perfect. Configuration mistakes happen daily to SecOps, DevOps, and NetOps team members. Sometimes, these mistakes aren’t recognized for several months after deployment. When things do break (and they will), a good cybersecurity professional will focus on experience, knowledge of the product, and problem-solving fundamentals. They know that rebooting doesn’t always fix the problem. Solving the problem through trial and error for the cybersecurity professional is a good thing. Sometimes, there are many ways to solve a cybersecurity issue. Often multiple team members from DevOps, SecOps, and NetsOps will collaborate as a team to come up with options to solve the problems. Together, the teams learn from each other. 

How to Gain More Cybersecurity Experience

Many cybersecurity professionals are driven to learn about the applications, systems, and networks they protect daily. More often, a SecOps, DevOps, or Netops person will volunteer their time in other parts of the information technology to gain more knowledge of the organization’s digital landscape. Some will block out time on their weekly calendar to help out in the IT helpdesk helping out with trouble tickets. Some cybersecurity team members will volunteer to help with weekend network cutovers or system upgrades. The cybersecurity professionals will learn more about the organization’s technology environment and become more well-rounded teammates to others in the IT department. 

Roadmap for Success in the Field of Cybersecurity

Beyond the information we’ve discussed today, there are other ways to become a qualified candidate in the cybersecurity field. Discover the secrets of developing a cybersecurity career by downloading the CIAT Roadmap for Success in the Field of Cybersecurity today.