According to the New York Times, Cyber Security will create over 3.5 million job opportunities across the world by 2021, which is a huge jump from the 1 million opportunities in 2014.
Currently, there are more than 61,000 job openings available for Cyber Security professionals in the US, while in India, there are 11,000+, as per LinkedIn. Therefore, it is an ideal career choice in the IT field.You have come to the right place to start your journey if you are aiming for the role of Cyber Security Engineer!
So, In this ‘How to become a Cyber Security Engineer?’ blog, you will read the following topics:
Check out How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer in this detailed video:
Let’s begin!
Who is a Cyber Security Engineer?
The main goal of Cyber Security Engineers in an organization is to design and implement network security solutions. It has to be capable of defending against all types of cyberattacks, malicious activities, hackers, and more. Further, they test and monitor these systems regularly to ensure that they are functioning as per the requirements and have the latest defenses. Cyber Security Engineers, often referred to as Data Security Engineer, Web Security Engineer, IT Security Engineer, Security Analysts, etc. They protect the company’s financial records, data, and other confidential information to secure the clients and finance. The importance of data security is at its peak, and hence, the demand for cyber security engineers is also increasing.
Let’s now try to understand the Cyber Security Engineer job description and their various roles and responsibilities in an organization.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Cyber Security Engineer?
The main job of a professional Cyber Security Engineer is to detect and prevent attacks. They need to fix and resolve system vulnerabilities using various tools and technologies. Also, they have to install firewalls for the company and integrate systems for breach detection.
Following are some of the numerous tasks that you will have to undertake as a Cyber Security Engineer in your organization:
- Evaluate the security needs of the company and implement security standards accordingly.
- Design, integrate, monitor, and upgrade all the security measures that will help in protecting the systems, data, infrastructure, and networks of the organization.
- Respond to network and security breaches.
- Troubleshoot security and network problems.
- Conduct scans and penetration testing regularly to find system vulnerabilities
According to a job posted on LinkedIn by HP, the following responsibilities were listed:
To summarize, the mentioned responsibilities are more or less the same for various organizations with a few variations depending on specific requirements.
Before getting into the details of how you can become a Cyber Security Engineer, let’s read about the criteria.
How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer?
To become a successful Cyber Security Engineer, you need to have experience and certain qualifications, some of which are mentioned below:
- A bachelor’s degree in IT systems engineering, computer science, or other similar domains.
- Over 2 years of experience in Cyber Security in areas such as cyber forensics, detection of breaches, and responding to such security incidents, etc.
- Experience in maintaining and operating firewalls.
- Up-to-date knowledge and skills in Cyber Security advancements and the latest tricks and tactics that hackers can misuse.
You can attain the necessary skills and knowledge by enrolling in the best Cyber Security Training at Intellipaat.
Skills Required to Become a Cyber Security Engineer
Although it is not required for you to do the job of an Ethical Hacker, you must have a fundamental knowledge of Ethical Hacking to create systems that are capable of supporting it.
- Knowledge of operating systems and database platforms
You must have hands-on experience working with numerous operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, UNIX, etc., and also have the necessary skills in database platforms, including MS SQL and MySQL.
- Understanding of network architecture
As a Cyber Security Engineer, you should be familiar with wide area networks (WANs) and local area networks (LANs) to design and create various phases and secure them from possible attacks.
- Skills in computer forensics
Computer forensics is the process of investigating cybercrimes. You should be capable of identifying and dealing with digital data as per the law.
Programming Skills Required to Become a Cyber Security Engineer
Apart from the skills mentioned above, you need to have knowledge and experience in various programming languages, including Java, Python, C, C++, Go, etc., as each of them serves its own purpose.
- You need to learn Python, as it allows you to automate business processes and malware analysis. Further, you can use it for scanning and penetration testing. Python is easier to learn as compared to most other programming languages.
- The C programming language allows professionals to build antivirus programs that further enable the organization’s cyber team to identify malware. It can also be useful in securing network solutions.
- Most cyber attackers use Java to exploit system vulnerabilities and disable the security defenses of an organization, so it is important for you to have skills in this language to prevent those attackers from hacking into the systems and networks. It can also be used for penetration testing.
- Go is among the most scalable and simple languages that can help in identifying malware.
Further, you will learn about the salaries earned by these professionals in various parts of the world based on different factors.
Learn more about Cyber Security from our Cyber Security tutorial.
Step-by-Step Career Roadmap for a Cyber Security Engineer
Here is a step-by-step career roadmap for you to become a cyber security engineer:
Step 1 – Programming Skills and Operating Systems
The beginning of your cyber security journey will start with acquiring basic knowledge about Operating systems that you will use in your journey and various programming skills that will help you with different types of tasks in a cyber security related role.
Step 2 – Networking Skills
The next step begins with understanding the various intricacies of networking, such as common protocols and their usage, subnetting, IP terminology, network topologies, etc. Here, you will also cover various troubleshooting tools, authentication methodologies, virtualization techniques, etc.
Step 3 – Security Skills
After you are familiar with the networking, the security skills will take over. You will come across cryptography, attack types, incident response and discovery, etc.
Step 4 – Cloud Skills
It will become necessary for you to master cloud skills for cybersecurity, wherein you will go through various services, models, environments, and storage for cyber security.
Step 5 – Certification Credentials
The last and final step before your journey becomes fruitful is the certification credential. Based on your professional experience, you can choose from various cyber security certifications and get certified for many job opportunities available in the job market.
How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer with No Experience?
- For cyber security aspirants who are looking to make a career in information security, it can be a little overwhelming if they are coming from a non-technical background or do not have any prior relevant experience. Read the following approach to tackle that situation: Basic Programming – Get basic level proficiency in any programming language so that it becomes a little easier for your journey ahead.
- CEH v12 Certification – This certification from the EC Council required no relevant experience prior to the examination as prerequisites. But you will have to go through training from accredited training partners from the EC council. Post the certification, you will be proficient enough to start.
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Cyber Security Engineer Salary
The salary of professionals in Cyber Security can, however, vary due to multiple factors, such as job location, job profile, company, experience, etc.
Let’s start by discussing the salaries of Cyber Security experts based on the countries they work in.
| Cyber Security Engineer (All Experiences) |
Salary in the USA |
Salary in India |
Salary in the UK |
Salary in Australia |
| Minimum Salary |
USD 110,000 |
INR 300,000 |
GBP 43,000 |
AUD 130,000 |
| Median Salary |
USD 130,000 |
INR 800,000 |
GBP 52,000 |
AUD 190,000 |
| Highest Salary |
USD 172,000 |
INR 18,00,000 |
GBP 73,000 |
AUD 234,000 |
It is clear that to become a Cyber Security Engineer in a reputed organization and earn a handsome salary, you should have the necessary knowledge and skills. Apart from that, you must also achieve one or more certifications in the domain that validate your skills and act as a bonus on your resume. Let’s take a look at the certifications you can earn to excel in the Cyber Security domain.
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Cyber Security Engineer Certifications
Following are some of the certifications to secure job as a Cyber Security Engineer:
| Certifications |
Prerequisites |
Validity |
| Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v12) |
EC-Council course or 2 years experience in information security |
3 Years |
| Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) |
Minimum 5 years of cumulative experience with at least 3 years in information security and 1 year in current CCSP domains. |
3 Years |
| Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) |
Minimum 5 years of cumulative experience, with 2 or more out of the 8 domains of the CISSP exam. |
3 Years |
| Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) |
Open to all |
3 Years |
| CompTIA Security+ (SY0 601) |
No Prerequisites |
3 Years |
After taking up training for the respective certification, you can appear for the exam.
Now, let’s check out some of the organizations that are the most interested in hiring these experts.
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Top Companies Hiring Cyber Security Engineers in 2024
Top MNCs are looking for Cyber Security Engineers to secure their networks and systems. Some of the major companies hiring these professionals around the globe are as follows:
- HP
- Deloitte
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Walmart
- Microsoft
- CISCO
- Tesla
- Meta
- Apple
Are you preparing for Cyber Security job interviews? Have a look at our blog on Cyber Security interview questions now!
Further, let’s read about the career opportunities that you will have as a Cyber Security Engineer.
Cyber Security Engineer Job Trends
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected growth of professionals in the information security sector is projected to grow by 32% from 2022 to 2032.
- With more than 5000 jobs available in India on LinkedIn alone, the job market is flourishing with skilled professionals in Cyber Security. With close to 30,000 cyber security jobs in the USA, the global market is also showing a remarkable increase in the demand for cyber security professionals.
- According to a global magazine, the number of job openings has increased by a whopping 350% in the last decade and is going to stay at a constant compounding rate until 2025.
- An ISACA report surveying 2000 Cyber Security professionals showed a response rate of “understaffed” in at least 47% responses and 15% stating “extremely understaffed”, referring to a surge in demand.
If you want to get certified in Ethical Hacking. Enroll in the Ethical Hacking Course in Bangalore now.
Cyber Security Engineer Job Opportunities
| Job Role |
Description |
| Security Researcher |
Helps organizations to improve the information security architecture. |
| Cyber Security Analyst |
Responsible for maintaining and analyzing data security from threats and vulnerabilities. |
| Cyber Security Engineer |
Take care of implementing preventive measures from cyber threats. |
| Threat Analyst |
Analyzes and monitors threats and vulnerabilities. |
| Security Tester |
Tests the infrastructure to find out vulnerabilities. |
Cyber Security Engineer Career Guide
A career guide for a Cyber Security Engineer is necessary for aspiring information security professionals. To dive a little deeper into the specifics, let’s take a look at the following benchmarks one must follow:
- Mastering Programming Language – Basic to expert-level proficiency in programming languages like Scala, Python, and knowledge of operating systems such as Linux are a must. To practice your proficiency, you can refer to the following resources:
a. Python Tutorial
b. Linux Tutorial
- Cyber Security Tools – Basic to expert level proficiency in using tools like Nmap, Wireshark, and Burpsuite is absolutely necessary and is constantly asked for in job descriptions for cyber security-related job roles. To brush up on your skills in terms of Cyber Security tools, you can refer to the following:
a. Cyber Security Tools
- Get Certified – Certification credential can give a great push to your career. With so many certification credentials, like CEH, CCSP, CISSP, CISA, and CompTIA security+ you can choose the one that suits your needs. So, pass the exam to excel in your career.
Conclusion
We hope that this detailed roadmap on “How to Become a Cybersecurity Engineer” helps you understand the various intricacies of the roles and journey. With a constant increase in the demand for skilled cyber security professionals provides a promising opportunity for Cyber Security enthusiasts.. Enroll in our Cyber Security Certification Training for an enriching learning experience and career growth.
If you have any questions, mention them in the comments, and we will reach out to you. For more cyber security related queries, you can post them in our space as well.