Gone are the days when business was done in a pure brick-and-mortar fashion. Nowadays, every shop in the neighborhood has its own web presence offering facilities to make inquiries or purchases online. With this increase in the number of industries expanding their presence in the cyber domain, the need for Cybersecurity experts has skyrocketed. The number of software professionals taking up a Cyber Security Bootcamp to switch to this promising domain has increased by a staggering 60% every year on an average for the last 5 years.
However, much confusion remains regarding the best ways to go forward in this domain and land a secure job. The purpose of this article is to eliminate some of that confusion by laying out a list of the popular subjects to learn to get a good grasp of cyber security concepts and practices.
Top 8 Cybersecurity Skills
It is important to have a roadmap to begin your journey to become a Cybersecurity expert. A clear idea of what to learn and what is outdated will make your transition into the field much easier and faster. So, for this exclusive purpose of guiding you on your path to becoming a cyber safety expert, we have listed 8 top skills you should acquire to become successful in the network security domain. Take a look at these skills below:
1. Networking and System Administration
Sound knowledge of networking and network architecture is quintessential to thrive in a Cybersecurity career. You must be well versed in various aspects of data transmission in order to secure the data. Therefore it is advisable to take up a certification like CompTIA to boost your cyber security career.
2. Coding
It isn’t easy to progress in the Cybersecurity profession with zero coding knowledge. You must be proficient in at least one programming language and have a basic understanding of at least one more language to have a good foundation in cybersecurity. The popular languages used by cyber security experts are C and C++, Python, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, SQL, and Go lang (specifically used for cryptography). Moreover, it is recommended to learn assembly language to understand more about how malware functions.
3. Network Security Control
Every cybersecurity expert is an expert on how various networks, routers, firewalls, and other devices work. The measures implemented by a cyber specialist to enhance the security of the organization’s network is called Network security control. They comprise firewalls and other safety measures necessary to safeguard the company data and systems. Moreover, a cyber specialist should also be able to set up and modify Intrusion prevention systems, Intrusion detection systems, Virtual private networks (VPNs), etc.
4. Knowledge of Operating Systems and Virtual Machines
As a cyber expert, you will be expected to possess matter over operating environments such as Linux, Windows, Mac OS, etc. Additionally, a good understanding of Kali Linux, which is the most commonly used tool for ethical hacking as well as penetration testing, is considered a huge advantage in the profession.
5. Cloud Security
As most companies store large portions of their valuable information on cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud platforms, or Azure, there is a huge demand for expertise in cloud security. Cyber experts are also required to implement policies and technologies for protecting their cloud-based devices and systems.
6. Blockchain Security
Due to its complex and secure nature, Blockchain is becoming an increasingly popular subject among major corporations. Being a distributed ledger with data stored across multiple devices makes Blockchain a hard target for hackers to destroy or modify. As a result, billions of dollars are spent yearly on research into leveraging Blockchain technology in areas like network control, identity control, supply chain management, mobile management, and Internet-of-Things (IoT). So Blockchain knowledge will be a huge asset for anyone interested in becoming a Cybersecurity expert.
7. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence is another domain like Blockchain that is becoming widely popular. AI is making inroads into almost every major sector. However, parallelly the fears related to AI are also growing. So, a network security expert is also expected to have knowledge about AI. Moreover, AI is also a great tool that can complement Cybersecurity tools and make the processes more consistent and reliable.
8. The Internet of Things (IoT)
SSurveys predict that IoT will connect more than 30 billion gadgets by 2025. This means IoT technology will be in almost every home within the next few years. However, as IoT devices often collect personal data to customize their functions, they also bring long risks of data theft or identity theft. So, Cybersecurity experts must equip themselves with the technical knowledge required to secure IoT devices on an immediate basis.
Additional Cybersecurity Skills
Apart from the above-mentioned skillset, we have added some more skills that can help you ease into the cybersecurity field:
Risk Analysis: Cybersecurity experts are expected to identify, manage and mitigate risks/threats.
Information Security: Organizations need skilled professionals to protect their electronic data from unauthorized access and data breaches.
Security Audit: An internal check that is carried out periodically to detect any flaws in the organization’s information system and networks.
Security Incident Handling & Response: A cybersecurity expert must be prepared to handle any genuine threat related to violating an organization’s security policy and data norms.
Cyber Laws and Regulations: Cybersecurity laws and regulations that define how anyone can use the internet is necessary to protect people from becoming victims of cybercrimes. A Cybersecurity professional must be well aware of these laws.
Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field. So, even after you have equipped yourself with all these skills, it is essential to stay updated with any new hacks and tools that may be released from time to time. In addition to technical skills, a Cybersecurity professional must be adept with his/her “soft skills.” Having good soft skills is necessary to land a top job and succeed in that job in the long run.
