Top tips for securing a career in cyber security

If you’re contemplating a career change for 2018, then you might want to consider the burgeoning cyber security market. This field is expected to grow to nearly £3.5 million in 2017 alone, putting cyber security professionals in increasing demand for what has become a highly lucrative role.

In fact, reports have shown that the number of cyber security roles advertised in the UK is at the third highest worldwide – where employer demand exceeds candidate interest more than three times over, resulting in an advancing digital skills gap and rapid inflation of salaries for the sector.

So, what is cyber security, and what sort of job roles could you expect to fulfil in the sector? E-Careers explores:

Cyber security consists of technologies, processes and measures that are designed to protect systems, networks and data from cyber-crimes. Without getting into technical definitions, cyber security is essentially a buzz term widely used within the information security world to capture ‘criminal’ activity.

As the cyber security domain expands further, new roles and titles are likely to arise, with current roles likely to evolve. The roles and job titles in the cyber security sector often involve overlapping responsibilities, and can be broad or specialised depending on the size of the organisation.

Typical job titles are Security Analyst, Security Engineer, Security Administrator, Security Specialist and Security Consultant.

Tempted? E-Careers have put together top tips to securing a career in cyber security:

Study skills

Cyber security is progressing at a rapid rate, which means professionals need to keep pace with industry changes and developments.

Those new to the IT scene should start with the basics, pursuing study in the field of computing before aiming to master skills in cyber security. Professionals in this field are even said to benefit from broadening their knowledge to include other soft sciences such as economics and psychology. This may come as a surprise; however, cyber-criminals are evolving their skills at an alarming rate, and anything that provides an insight into their next move will give you a desirable edge.

Certification means business

Certification in cyber security expands your expertise and market value, providing you with the best possible roles at the best companies. It’s worth noting, cyber security comes with an incredible amount of responsibility and having certification will show employers that you are fully equipped to handle the advancing duties involved in the job.

Be visible

The cyber security community continues to grow daily, which means becoming an active participant in this developing industry will help you make relevant connections. Try creating a blog documenting security developments, and post regularly on LinkedIn while closely following industry leaders. The current dominance of cyber security across the world has meant that there are a large number of personal bloggers, forums and industry websites. We recommend checking out Dark Reading, Krebs on Security and Naked Security to get started.

Research and experience

Cyber security experts dedicate a large portion of their time to researching and discovering reliable and effective solutions that will lead to security advancements. Of course, hands-on components offer important experience and puts that research to good use in configuring security systems, designing new ones and even breaking existing ones. Computer science is often described as an art form, however it requires research and practice to create a master piece!

Cyber security is one of the most urgent and in-demand professions in modern day society, and it is likely that the danger of cyber security breaches will only increase as computer networks continue to expand. Career paths aside, it’s worth learning the skills and expertise to investigate and react accordingly, putting yourself at the forefront of a digitally dominated world.

Find out more about Cyber Security careers.