Career Directions In Cybersecurity
Tags: cybersecurity, security, informationsecurity
Published: 2022-02-11 13:32:26

The cybersecurity industry is already a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide. With information technology and software intruding into almost every industry, the market for security solutions is growing at unprecedented levels. With cybercrime
predicted to cost more than USD 6 trillion next year, the industry is far short on professionals and solutions, and with a median salary of USD 92000, cybersecurity is as lucrative a career as any.

With an overwhelming volume of options and career directions, it is easy to get lost in the universe of cybersecurity. The career choices range from being an ethical hacker to a cyber-activist to an academician. 

Let us explore some of these options and what your average day would look like.

- **Ethical Hacker:** An information security expert, ethical hacker hacks into systems to analyze it against possible vulnerabilities and helps the system owners proactively patch their environment before an actual attack occurs. An ethical hacker, of course, works in close coordination with the system owner post acquiring all the permissions and working under the purview of a contract. This is perhaps the most famous and talked about career choice in the cybersecurity universe.

- **Network Security Engineer:** A network security engineer is tasked with maintaining the security infrastructure of the network. This includes maintaining the integrity of the network, assessing the existing vulnerabilities, assessing network integrations, planning and executing patches, monitoring and governing interactions within and across networks, and defining security policies.

- **IT Security Analyst:** Somewhat similar to a network security engineer, a security analyst draws up plans and educates organizations and individuals on the impact of threats and their solutions. One can further get specialized to more specific areas like corporate networks, VPNs, production environments, or data centers. These are people with expert knowledge on minute details of components.

- **Cyber Forensic Investigator:** A cyber forensic investigator, much like its medical counterpart, is tasked with drawing up and following trails of cyber criminals and frauds to unearth pieces of evidence and possibly laying honeytraps to catch the violators. Cyber forensic investigators can be hired by both private and government institutions.

- **Cybersecurity Auditor:** As the name suggests, the primary task of a security auditor is to examine and rate the standards of security being followed in a solution, system, or even corporations as a whole. Security audits primarily focus on data flows, access systems, their accountability, and planning. Auditors may be hired by organizations to meet the auditing requirements set forth by the cyber laws of a country or as part of its own security policy to get an independent assessment of its security processes to be better prepared.

- **Bounty Hunter:** A bounty hunter is a security enthusiast who works independently or in a team to find security flaws in the systems of organizations as part of their bounty programs. The bounty programs are run by several organizations and groups that reward people who report vulnerabilities in their systems. Quite similar to ethical hacking, there is usually no contract of employment in bounty hunting, but of course, a contract on the scope and methodologies to be used.

Additionally, there are traditional career choices of being a software developer, solutions architect designing, and developing security solutions for applications, systems, and organizations.

Hope this was helpful.