How to Start a Career in Cyber Security

This non-technical syllabus encompasses a real-life pragmatic approach to understanding the fundamental concepts of cyber risk management. No previous cyber security knowledge is assumed and the course is appropriate for all levels. According to research by PayScale, the average salary for cyber security professionals in the UK stands at over £42,000. However, those in senior and specialist roles can earn significantly more than this, with chief information security officers, for example, earning an average of £90,000 – going up to £142,000 for the top jobs. Some of the top-paying industries offer a very small number of jobs for security specialists, so the chance of finding work in that industry may be lower. Simply reading the news about data breaches and hacking reveals the need for more cyber security professionals.

Our training courses offer a structured learning path from foundation to advanced level, helping IT, privacy and security practitioners develop the skills needed to deliver best practice and compliance in organisations. If you have impressive computing skills, formal education isn’t compulsory. However, most people join the career through a degree in computer science or IT courses. However, entry-level workers earn around £42,500 while senior-level experts earn an average of £70,000.

Related jobs and courses

Most information security professionals need solid scripting skills for a variety of purposes including querying databases and collecting useful data. It can be beneficial to master the use of tools like PowerShell and BASH to facilitate various types of information security tasks. However, the good news is that you don’t have to learn everything there is to know as it is possible to specialise in one aspect of information security. If this is your chosen career path, you can choose whether you want to develop depth or breadth of expertise. As a result, cybersecurity professionals are in demand all over the world. The role ordinarily works during core business hours but may involve out of hours working to align with customer requirements and may require additional working to agreed overtime rates.

Find out the UK’s average graduate salary, which professions offer the highest starting salaries and how your degree discipline could affect your earning potential. Not all industries and companies require continued education to advance your Security Specialist career path. However, earning this degree may help you advance to higher-earning positions more quickly.

Typical employers of cyber security specialists

Your certifications are also relevant during your salary determination, and a cyber security certification boosts your earning potential. As technologies advance, cybercriminals are becoming more dangerous and pose a threat to information in computer systems. As a cyber security expert, you develop and implement network security measures to prevent cyber attacks and malware. You also regularly conduct security checks to look for threats and update the installed protection measures. When determining vulnerabilities in a computer system, sometimes you have to do white hacking and present your findings to the management. The consequences of data breaches or other incidents can be huge, so being able to step in and shield people and organisations from these is hugely rewarding.

• Some network security specialists research, evaluate, recommend and implement other security devices as well.
• Making a career as Network Engineer, Network Security Engineer or Cyber Security Engineers is dream of many of you.
• You may be working on the security of your organisation and/or offering security services or consultancy to other companies.
• Although study at Masters level isn’t essential, you could choose to undertake further study in a relevant subject area, particularly if your degree is in an unrelated subject.

To secure their network infrastructure, you would need to use different technologies and security devices e.g. Firewall, IDS/IPS, Access Control Servers, network monitoring tools and etc. For that, you need Network engineer who will have knowledge and expertise in these technologies and equipment so that he can use them efficiently to secure the network resources. Good network engineer and administrator will not only ensure the better performance of network but also keep its security infrastructure up-to-date according to new threats and attacks.

Road Map to Your Dream Job

There are usually numerous bug bounty programs on offer at any given time. One of the most famous is the one offered by the United States Department of Defense. security specialist Alternatively, you can apply to this job and others using your online CV. All employees are subject to Enhanced DBS check during the probation period.

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

Security is a shared duty, and the entire team must take responsibility for protecting the company’s assets. The information security professional will need to be especially proactive about communicating security essentials to those on the team who may be less knowledgeable about best practices. The security professional must also take care to work with others rather than at odds with them. There are a variety of different techniques an information security professional can use for reverse engineering malware.These include static analysis, dynamic analysis, automated analysis and manual analysis.

It is part of theCCP scheme, which is the UK government’s approved standard of competence for cyber security. Organisations’ reliance on IT technical solutions has only increased with the switch to remote working, creating a massive demand for qualified personnel. Cyber security is fast becoming one of the most important roles in the tech sector as cyber criminals and hackers become ever more sophisticated. Please create an account to save unlimited jobs in your personal profile. When you have two years of experience, CompTIA Security+ certification is suitable for your career progression. Below are occupations that have high affinity with Security Specialist skills. Discover some of the most common Security Specialist career transitions, along with skills overlap.