What is a IT Security Specialist? Explore the IT Security Specialist Career Path

A specialist may protect the information directly, but they may also be in charge of protecting entire information systems as well as networks through which that information spreads. Though there are many cybersecurity positions where a master’s degree is not required, it is increasingly common to see an advanced degree listed as “required” or “preferred” in listings for top jobs. According to CyberSeek’s breakdown of the cybersecurity specialist position, 63% of employers require a bachelor’s degree how to become a security specialist and 20% require a master’s degree. By monitoring, detecting, investigating, analyzing, and responding to security events, cybersecurity specialists protect systems from cybersecurity risks, threats, and vulnerabilities. Cyber Security Specialists are responsible for providing security for an organization’s overall IT systems. They search for vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks, and data centers and design strategies and defensive systems to protect against attacks and threats.

Pay attention to the most significant factors that determine how much you will be earning in a particular position. The good news is that IT professionals, in general, earn twice as much as the national median wage in the US. It is almost a given that you will have a decent income wherever you find employment in the IT security sector. At the start of new career paths or career changes, everyone must first familiarize themselves with their desired job.

The Guide on How to Become a Cyber Security Specialist

MedCerts offers financial aid options through these government grant-funded programs – MyCAA, Workforce Funding , and Department of Defense Credentialing Assistance or COOL funding for the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Aside from taking a course to obtain a certification at the end, you can also choose to sharpen your skills by yourself. There are hundreds of free and paid course options online that might not lead to a desirable certification, but that will provide you with more theoretical and practical knowledge. There is no guarantee that you will be earning more if you work for a San Francisco company than one in Denver.

• If you’re eyeing large, famous companies, keep in mind that your starting salary will be comparatively low before you rise through the ranks.
• A CISO also needs to work closely with the other leadership positions as well as the employees working for them, which is why their communication skills need to be outstanding.
• Cisco, CompTIA, CISSP, and CEH are some of the certs that may be required by your employer to be qualified for a role.
• A security specialist typically monitors the existing security infrastructure, suggests improvements, runs system checks, and researches potential new risks.
• CASP+ is an advanced certification that validates critical thinking and judgment across a spectrum of security disciplines in complex environments.
• And while it’s important to have fluency in programming languages and experience with UNIX-, Linux-, and Windows-based systems, it’s even more important to have a bachelor’s degree to be qualified for this job.

They should also look into career opportunities and what other industries they can cross paths with if they are so inclined. In the case of computer security, this is especially important since you can pretty much find employment in whatever field you want. While this type of job is engaging and unpredictable, it can also take up a lot of time. Security analysts work long hours and are often called in from their free time to take care of a security incident. A computer forensics analyst can also be called an information security crime investigator.

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For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. The How to Become One tab describes how to prepare for a job in the occupation. This tab can include information on education, training, work experience, licensing and certification, and important qualities that are required or helpful for entering or working in the occupation. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of information security analysts.

• Traditionally, network operations and IT professionals and teams handled core technology functions.
• They are merely creating a controlled simulation of a cyberattack that exposes the organization’s security systems’ weaknesses.
• Training • Consulting • Expert Witness Sam Sehgal Jerod Brennen I enable clients to minimize business disruptions by building effective, efficient, forward-thinking cybersecurity programs.
• Cybersecurity specialists work on IT teams that are dedicated to protecting the integrity of the business’s network and data.
• Earning a couple of certifications wouldn’t hurt, as well as becoming proficient at the hard and soft skills required for a security specialist.

If you have any questions about the income you could potentially earn as a cybersecurity specialist, don’t hesitate to reach out to MyComputerCareer. Average salary estimates also depend on the size of the organization and how profitable it is. In theory, a great option would be to find a job in a relatively small company that has considerable revenue. Your cybersecurity salary would most likely be higher than the industry average. The key areas where this is happening include industry certifications and advanced degree programs.

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They are responsible for the integrity and security of the organization’s network and must keep all data secure. To accomplish this, they typically work with a team of other Cyber Security Specialists and usually work directly with other employees and department leaders as security issues arise. A Cyber Security Specialist is an expert in the field of information technology security.

They have an in-depth understanding of vulnerabilities, management systems, and common security applications. Develop custom systems for specialized security features and procedures for software systems, networks, data centers, and hardware. That often means that continuing education is required — both in the form of formal, industry-recognized certifications — and in the form of informal learning and tracking industry developments. The Certified Ethical Hacker certification is also considered a more advanced cert because it generally requires that applicants have multiple years of work experience. The goal of an ethical hacker certification is to be able to understand how cyber attacks unfold in order to improve threat assessment and mitigation skills. It makes sense to start thinking about what kinds of certifications are required by an employer, or what kinds of certifications make job applicants competitive within the field.

Professionals in this field are tasked with inspecting cyberattacks and finding their perpetrators and the exact methods they used to infiltrate an information or network system. Given that the chief information security officer is a senior executive-level position, it is no surprise that its average base salary comes in at $179,763. Keep in mind that a network security engineer title seems to be earning less than the ones mentioned above – $79,686 per year on average. While it is not of great importance where you as an employee are, the size of your income will depend on where your company is located. Validate skills in various cybersecurity areas, including offensive operations, cyber defense, cloud security, industrial control systems and more.