Second, the growing sophistication of cyberattacks means that organizations need more skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect themselves. Third, the global shortage of cybersecurity workers is expected to continue, which will drive up wages and salaries for cybersecurity specialists. A security specialist is an excellent way to jump-start your career in cyber security.

They must stay up to date with the latest trends and threats in the cybersecurity industry and be able to adapt to evolving security risks. Good communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills are also important for a cybersecurity specialist. The employment of information security analysts, which includes cybersecurity specialists, is predicted to grow 36 percent by 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. The main goal of all IT professionals who become cyber security specialists is to protect information. This information can be anything from a list of a company’s clients and their contact information to highly sensitive and confidential data on which entire governments depend.

The Guide on How to Become a Cyber Security Specialist

Information security requires employees to possess hard skills, such as programming languages, and engage in complex technological solutions. Security specialists should begin by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity or a related area, such as computer science. According to Payscale, security specialists with 10 or more years of experience earned an average annual salary of $98,389 as of September 2021. Security specialist salary prospects improve as employees gain more specialized skills in areas like risk management, security information and event management, cybersecurity, and security testing and auditing. All of the salary averages in the list above should be taken with a grain of salt.

If you work in offensive security, you’ll take a proactive approach to cybersecurity. You’ll do this by playing the part of the intruder, trying to find vulnerabilities before the bad guys do. CompTIA certifications establish a baseline foundation of skills how to become a security specialist that you can build upon with other vendor or technology-specific certifications. Certifications like CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), PenTest+ and Project+ can prove you have the skills to take your cybersecurity career to the next level.

Deepen your knowledge, refine your skills

In addition to connecting with your coworkers, consider joining a professional organization. Some companies may accept as little as 1-to-2 years of experience while some may require over five years of IT security experience. Discover whether the security specialist profession fits your strengths and interests by exploring daily tasks and responsibilities. Instead of searching for jobs, candidates create a profile and Whitetruffle matches them with employers. Businesses like Postmates, Venmo, GoPro, and Netflix use Whitetruffle to find tech employees. Employers add ten jobs per second on Indeed, attracting over 250 million visitors each month.

• Though certification is not required to work in this role, formal credentials can boost your job opportunities and cybersecurity specialist salary.
• Sometimes, employers look for those who have a master in business administration (MBA) degree with an information systems concentration.
• Most IT security jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, information assurance, or a related field; these programs typically take four years to complete as a full-time student.
• Security specialists implement cybersecurity measures that protect an organization’s computer networks and systems.
• However, cybersecurity focuses exclusively on protecting digital assets, while information security covers digital and physical information across all mediums.