Careers in cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a huge field and writing about every aspect of it would probably require another book. However, I will try to explain major trends in cybersecurity and what kind of skills you will need to master it. Some of the more common careers are listed in the following sections, although this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Systems security administration

Just like a system administrator whose job is to maintain and administer systems in an organization, the goal of a system security administrator is to focus on the administration of the system's security. Their job is to perform daily security tasks, such as system monitoring and backup management.

Security architect

Networks are one of the most important aspects of modern computer systems and more often than not, they are the entry point for attackers into an organization, thus managing, maintaining, and securing the network is extremely important for organizations. The job of the security architect includes problem reporting, breach analysis, and so on.

Penetration tester

As mentioned earlier, the goal of a penetration tester is to test the strength of an organization's defenses. In simple words, the goal of a penetration tester is to hack into the system and gain unauthorized access. The job of a penetration tester also includes detecting system vulnerabilities. Sometimes, penetration testers also work in incident response teams to defend against real threats. Penetration testers are often tasked with designing their own tools focused on the organization's requirements. Most of this book will follow the rough footsteps to become a penetration tester. A penetration tester is one of the highest-paid jobs in cybersecurity and requires a lot of skill.

Forensic analyst

As the name indicates, the job of a computer forensic analyst is to evaluate the digital assets and review the evidence in the case of a system breach. Their tasks include securing digital and physical proofs after a breach to be used in the analysis as well as to be potentially used in court against hackers. Forensic computer analysts must be sensitive to the security concerns of their employers or clients and follow closely all the privacy procedures when dealing with financial and personal information.

Chief information security officer

The chief information security officer (CISO) is usually an executive position. The CISO's job is to oversee the planning, coordinating, and directing of the system, network, and data security needs of the organization. Their job is to ensure security compliance, evaluate the threat landscape, and devise policies and controls to ensure the safety of the organization.