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How to Become a Cybersecurity Analyst

Jun. 22, 2020

How to Become a Cybersecurity Analyst

The Cybersecurity Analyst is the first line of defense against hackers and protects private information from malicious attackers. Analysts are a vital part of any organization’s cybersecurity team, but the question is how does one become a Cybersecurity Analyst? Many people will transition into cybersecurity from IT or a similar job role or some may join the industry fresh out of college. With cybersecurity being a pressing topic in every major organization today, the industry is booming with opportunity with an estimated 29,792 job openings across the nation just for cybersecurity analysts. The average salary of a Cybersecurity Analyst is $95,000 according to CyberSeek.org, and the Cybersecurity Analyst role can serve as a stepping stone to other high positions within the industry.

A Cybersecurity Analyst is an intermediate level role and is often the first line of defense against any threats or vulnerabilities found within corporate networks. Cybersecurity Analysts often work in teams and are led by a Chief Technology Officer or a Chief Information Security Officer and use their knowledge of networking, cloud computing, and software to analyze data and find threats. In this article, we will go over the essential education, skills, and traits needed to become a successful Cybersecurity Analyst in 2020.

Skills

Cybersecurity Analysts are at the forefront of their organization's cybersecurity and are often the first line of defense against hackers or any malicious activity that tries to harm their organization. In order to become a cybersecurity analyst, many organizations request that candidates showcase skills while using Linux to conduct vulnerability assessments or perform some penetration testing. Threat analysis and intrusion detection are also skills that are requested by employers because a cybersecurity analyst must be able to quickly react to any cyberattack that may occur.  

Education

The typical educational qualifications for a Cybersecurity Analyst role include a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, networking, or a similar field. Many organizations often go beyond just a bachelor’s degree and ask for advanced training or cybersecurity certifications. The reason why cybersecurity certifications are so beneficial to employers is that a certification showcases a candidate’s expertise on a narrower set of topics rather than a 4-year bachelor’s degree. For example, out of 29,792 estimated job openings over 82% of those openings require a bachelor’s degree and some sort of experience or certifications. For a Cybersecurity Analyst role certification such as the CompTIA Security +, EC-Council CEH, and ISACA CISA can increase recognition among employers, higher earning potential, and receive promotions faster than those who do not have certifications.

Traits

Cybersecurity Analysts must be communicative, proficient in networking, and honest by using cybersecurity best practices. Many candidates often get stuck on getting all the educational requirements of a cybersecurity analyst role; however, soft skills such as written and verbal communication are just as important. Employers need candidates who can work together to create long term cybersecurity solutions to better the organization, and they need people who can work in medium to large-sized teams. Having the desire to learn more is also requested by employers because Analysts will often have to continue to learn as technology will continue to evolve and change.


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