According to the New York Times, Cyber Security will venture 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.
As you have read already, there is a high demand for Cyber Security professionals, especially for Cyber Security Engineers, making it a lucrative and ideal career choice in the IT field. So, if you find it intriguing and think that a career as a Cyber Security Engineer is the best choice, then this is the right place for you to begin with.
In this ‘How to become a Cyber Security Engineer?’ blog, you will read the following topics:
Let’s begin!
What is a Cyber Security Engineer?
The main goal of Cyber Security Engineers in an organization is to design and implement network security solutions such that they are 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 have the latest defenses and they are functioning as per the requirements.
Cyber Security Engineers, often referred to as Data Security Engineer, Web Security Engineer, IT Security Engineer, Security Analysts, etc., protect the company’s financial records, data, and other confidential information that would lead to huge loss in terms of clients and money if leaked. The importance of data security is at its peak and hence, the demand for cyber security engineers is also at its peak.
Check out the Cyber Security Full Course video to learn more about its concepts:
Let’s now try to understand the Cyber Security Engineer job description and their various roles and responsibilities in an organization.
What do Cyber Security Engineers do?
The main job role 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
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Before getting into the details of how you can become a Cyber Security Engineer, let’s read about the criteria you need to meet to get into a profession in this field.
Cyber Security Engineer Prerequisites
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 response 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 to Be a Cyber Security Engineer
Ethical Hacking
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 in working with numerous operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, UNIX, etc., and also have 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 in accordance with the law.
Programming Skills to Be 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.
Cyber Security Engineer Salary
Cyber Security is one of the most sought-after careers in the IT field, and Cyber Security Engineers are among the highest paid professionals in this sector. 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 with discussing the salaries of these Cyber Security experts based on the countries they work in (source: PayScale).
Cyber Security Engineer Salary in the US
The average income of a certified Cyber Security Engineer in the US is US$96,980 per annum, and with experience, it may rise to US$142,000.
Cyber Security Engineer Salary in India
In India, Cyber Security Engineers earn an average annual salary of ₹608,218. With enough knowledge and skills, it can increase to ₹2,000,000.
Also, read our blog on Cyber Security Salary in India!
Cyber Security Engineer Salary in the UK
Cyber Security Engineers in the UK earn an average salary of £39,047 per year. This amount can increase to £82,000 per year for those with ample experience.
Cyber Security Engineer Salary in Australia
The pay scale of a Cyber Security Engineer in Australia is around AU$92,829 per annum with an increment up to AU$178,000 for the right skill set.
It is clear that to become a Cyber Security Engineer in a reputed organization and draw 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 in 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
There are numerous certifications that you can opt for based on the job role you wish to get. Some of the appropriate certifications that you can opt for to land the job role you desire are listed below:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v11)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- CompTIA Security+ (SY0 601)
After taking up training for the respective certification, you can sit for the exam and clear it to obtain your certification.
Now, let’s check out some of the organizations that are the most interested in hiring these experts.
Organizations Hiring Cyber Security Engineers
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:
- American Express
- IBM
- Amazon
- SAP
- KPMG
- Toyota
- Deloitte
- Cisco
- Microsoft
- Wipro
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Further, let’s read about the career opportunities that you will have as a Cyber Security Engineer.
Cyber Security Engineer Careers
As a professional Cyber Security Engineer, you can apply for numerous job roles that require you to have a similar set of skills. Some of these career options that you can go for are mentioned below:
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Cyber Security Engineer
- Threat Analyst
- Senior Cyber Security Engineer
- Network Security Engineer
- Information Security Engineer
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Cyber Security Engineer Career Path
To begin your journey toward becoming a successful Cyber Security Engineer, it is important that you take the first and most significant step of enrolling yourself in a training program. Further, you should clear the respective certification exam to assess your skills and make it easy for recruiters to hire you. In this ‘How to become a Cyber Security Engineer?’ blog, you have read about these professionals, their job role in an organization, the careers they can choose from, the range of salaries earned by them, the prerequisites for a career in this domain, and so on.
To get rid of any queries related to this field, reach out to us on our Cyber Security Community.