Cybersecurity Career Guide 2020
Cybersecurity Career Guide 2020
• Working in cybersecurity
• Job outlook
• Job roles
• Average salaries
• The value of transitioning from the IT to the Cybersecurity
industry
• Final Thoughts
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What Is Cybersecurity?
The growth of cybercrime puts businesses and government agencies at the risk of constant threats to their crucial
business data, customer data, financial information, and other trade secrets. Cybersecurity professionals play
an important role in protecting businesses from cybercriminals. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is
constantly increasing and is expected to rise by 28% between 2016 to 2026, as listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS).
by Symantec. What this means is that having the right policies in place
to protect data is not just about the immediate revenue
hit the company would take if a breach were to occur; it is
about the lasting damage the reputation could take. An IBM
study estimates that every stolen record cost a business
US$148—a figure that is rising every year. On top of the
immediate cost, how many businesses can afford to lose
70% of their customer base, and scare away countless more
potential customers in the future?
Thankfully, businesses are becoming aware of security’s importance where 69% of small- to medium-sized
businesses say that they already realize that data and information security has a significant impact on their business.
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Trust Wins Customers
Securing customer’s data is only the first step to fully realizing the benefits of cybersecurity. Once the company
has sufficiently safeguarded against cyberattacks, it must let its customers know.
Cybersecurity can mean more to the business than just the protection of data. About 89% of businesses say better
information security helps them to win more customers. As a key point of differentiation from competitors, new
customers will use security as one of the many considerations when choosing who to hand their money over to.
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Average Cybersecurity The value of transitioning
Salaries from the IT to the
According to [Link], as of Feb 2020, the Cybersecurity industry
average annual salary seen among cybersecurity
professionals in the United States is $112,974 a year, There have been rumors, as well as actual
with some salaries as high as $304,500. figures, that indicate the need for cybersecurity
professionals. The first and foremost reason
for information technology (IT) professionals to
Cyber Security Average by Job switch to the cybersecurity industry is evolving
technology. The dependency on automated
JOBE AVERAGE devices is expected to take over a few technical
jobs. Artificial intelligence is expected to eradicate
Information Security 6% of the jobs in the United States in another five
$72,212 years. In fact, roles such as data entry operators and
Analyst
computer operators are expected to disappear,
Cyber Security Analyst $76,041
and new job roles related to automation will be
Security Engineer $91,090 defined.
Cyber Security
$95,564 Coming from the IT industry to the cybersecurity
Engineer
industry does not mean a complete do-over.
Information Security Cybersecurity is a subsidiary of IT, and therefore,
$117,288
Manager it only adds extra feathers to your career. Here
Security Analyst $68,497 are a few reasons why you should move to the
cybersecurity industry.
Information Security
$97,411
Engineer
a. Easy Transition
Security Consultant.
(Computing / Cybersecurity is a process of defending your
$84,190 IT assets; hence, it demands IT skills. Coming
Networking Information
Technology) from a technical industry, you are already
aware of many technical terms and their
Information
$84,190 functionalities, such as networking, incident
Technology)
management, cloud server, and endpoints,
Information Security which will ease your cybersecurity learning.
$93,596
Officer There are few technical jobs in cybersecurity
Security Architect, IT $125,802 that demand hard-core technical knowledge;
Chief Information roles such as application security engineers,
$169,634 network defenders, and digital forensic
Security Officer
investigators are for professionals with specific
Information Security
$79,341 technical knowledge. Using your IT skills,
Specialist
you can effectively perform these complex
Penetration Tester $83,483 technical job roles.
Senior Security
$113,877
Consultant
Source: [Link]
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b. Opportunities Galore
If you are a jack-of-all-trades and are familiar with many IT concepts, you have the option to either play the role
of a single IT person in a small organization or head the IT security team in a multinational company. With a
background in the IT industry, you can avail of various options to excel in your skills. You can work in any field
and in any industry, including infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, retail,
waste management, logistics, legal, and entertainment.
c. Multitasking
IT professionals can be on both sides of the coin. They can work on the technical end as well as perform
managerial tasks. Security designing involves the knowledge of IT architecture, framing of new mechanisms,
creating new filtering schemes, crafting the source code, designing the user interface, and much more. You
can exploit your technical skills for creating a secured interface that can be easily implemented and executed.
Managerial-level job roles such as chief information security officer (CISO) and lead software security engineer
are aimed at emphasizing both technical and team-leading and other managerial skills.
Certifications
It is always good to opt for a degree. Simultaneously, it is important to obtain certifications to accelerate the
process of reaching your career goal. A certification will help gain excellent knowledge and skills in a specific
domain. To stay updated on the industry, one should always strive to have certifications on-hand.
Networking
Networking is about the exchange of information as well as nurturing mutually beneficial and long-term relationships
with people through shared business interests. The process of networking helps you remain connected with
security professionals from different parts of the world and exchange opportunities that benefit one and all. To be
a leader, you should be a part of the team first.
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Questions to Consider Before Pursuing the Field
Before you decide to apply for any jobs, ask yourself this:
Is a Certification Necessary?
Certifications allow learners to obtain workforce-ready skills. In its survey of 2018, Pearson Vue discovered the
impact certifications had on the lives and careers of thousands of respondents across the globe. Take a look at
some of their findings:
Professionals ambitions
76%
Driving Force in
earning a certification Academic program
24%
66% 23% 5%
Nearly 3/4th of respondents reported that they actively sought out certification on their own.
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Extrinsic (Tangible)
35% identified increase in
salary or wage
65% Reported realizing the first benefit within 3-4 months of getting certified.
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Technical Skills
There are specific technical job roles in cybersecurity that require that the candidate possesses a particular skill
set.
Soft Skills
Soft or non-technical skills define the personal attributes of any individual looking to explore a career in cybersecurity.
These soft skills are mandatory for every cyber expert as they are expected to be dynamic and influential leaders.
If you are willing to grow in the cybersecurity industry, leadership skills must be
Leadership developed. You should be able to lead the team and implement security standards
at all levels in the organization.
Passionate about Cybersecurity is not a one-time go. You need to continuously learn and acquire new
continuous learning skills to keep yourself updated in the industry.
Many cybersecurity roles demand report writing, where you have to describe the
Writing ability incident, assessments performed, suggestions for improvement, and so on. With
good writing skills, you can create efficiency in work.
Many job roles in cybersecurity test one’s patience as they need to be performed
Determination
with attention, and within a time limit. Determination is the key skill to succeed.
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Cybersecurity Path + Courses and Training
EC-Council understands that a single certification is not enough to lead the industry. A combination of training
programs based on different skillsets is required to set a career path that aligns with industry requirements.
To make it easy, EC-Council has drafted and introduced five main career tracks that can help you climb the
cybersecurity career ladder. The sixth career track, as specified by EC-Council, leads to the ultimate C-Suite
certification which is a goal to every career track.
Five cybersecurity career paths from EC-Council and how you can start and pave your career in cybersecurity:
1. Foundation Track
Information assets carry the most valuable and crucial data of any business, and therefore, their protection
becomes a high priority. Businesses are mostly online making them prone to a higher risk of cyber breaches. The
primary measure could be defending systems from intrusions and educating the staff on cyber etiquettes for safe
usage of the system.
The foundation tracks of EC-Council educate every individual in the team about the protection of information
assets, enhances security-related skills, and introduces them to the concept of cryptography.
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Program Objective Who can attend? Why is it required?
It educates on the safe
Provide individuals with
Certified Secure handling of internet,
the necessary knowledge Anyone using computer
Computer User system, and end devices
and skills to protect their and internet
(CSCU) so that breaches can be
information assets
avoided
Interested in learning
Enhances skills in
EC-Council Certified • Fundamentals of It ensures a secure
information security,
Security Specialist information security exchange of information in
network security, and
(E|CSS) • Network security the organization
computer forensics
• Computer forensics
CEH ECSA
Hacker (Master) 412-79 Security Analyst
CTIA
312-38 312-85 Intelligence Analyst
The vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) track of EC-Council is one of the most recognized
tracks as it encompasses all the major disciplines of cybersecurity that revolve around ethical hacking and
penetration testing. The main features of this VAPT track are:
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• Programs mapped to NICE (National Investigation Cybersecurity Education)
• C|EH is 100% mapped to NICE Framework’s Protect and Defend specialty area
• ECSA version10 maps to NICE Framework’s Analyze and Collect and Operate (CO) specialty area
• L|PT (Master) is a three-level progressive challenge that is backed by an advanced penetration testing course,
based on the backbone of EC-Council’s Advanced Penetration Testing Cyber Range. Follow the L|PT (Master)
brochure for more information.
A comprehensive
hands-on program that
masters you on the
methodologies of ethical
hacking and penetration
testing • Security officers
• Auditors
C|EH is the most popular
It includes the five phases • Security
ethical hacking program
Certified Ethical of ethical hacking— professionals
among recruiters
Hacker (C|EH) reconnaissance, gaining • Site administrators
worldwide. It gives a
Master access, enumeration, • And anyone
strong foundation for your
maintaining access, and concerned about
cybersecurity career.
covering your tracks. the integrity of the
IT infrastructure
It is the world’s first
ethical hacking industry
readiness assessment
test that is 100% verified,
online, and live proctored
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• Ethical hackers
A method-driven holistic
• Security practitioners
program that addresses
• Threat hunters
all the stages in the threat
• Incident response
intelligence life cycle.
team members It is the most futuristic
Certified Threat It covers the concepts
• Threat intelligence and realistic program
Intelligence Analyst that are highly essential
analyst that increases your
(C|TIA) from planning the threat
• Digital forensic and employability.
intelligence project
malware analyst
to building a report to
• SOC professionals
disseminating threat
• Anyone interested in
intelligence.
threat intelligence
• Ethical hackers
12-h rigorous practical • Penetration testers
exam to test your • Security testers
penetration testing skills • Firewall It gives you the value-
EC-Council Certified administrators added benefit of having
Security Analyst World’s first industry • Network server been qualified the
(Practical) readiness assessment administrators credential which is live
that is 100% verified, • System proctored
online, and lives administrators and
proctored risk assessment
professionals
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3. Cyber Forensics Track
CEH CTIA
Hacker (Master) Intelligence Analyst
312-38
Cyber forensics is gaining prominence, thanks to growing cybercrime. The cyber forensics track comprises of two
phases.
*For information on the C|ND, C|EH, and C|EH Practical, please take a look at the VAPT track.
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• Police and other
law enforcement
personnel
• Defense and military
Certifies in the discipline personnel
Bureau of Labor Statistics
of computer forensics • e-Business security
expected a growth of 28%
from a vendor-neutral professionals
Computer in computer forensics,
perspective • System
Hacking Forensic which is extraordinarily
administrators
Investigator (C|HFI) fast and makes an
Provides firm grasp on • Legal professionals
addition of 28,000 jobs to
the domain of digital • Banking, insurance,
the title.
forensics and other
professionals
• Government
agencies
• IT managers
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4. Network Defense and Operations Track
312-38
The growing impact of the latest technologies like artificial intelligence, automation, endpoint access, and others
has created a big threat to the security of any network. Network defense and operations track is a simple career
path with three phases.
*For information on the C|ND, please look at the VAPT track, and for E|CIH, the cyber forensic track
Covers fundamental
areas of fortifying
defenses by A higher level to
Advanced discovering methods • System architects network defense
Network of developing a secure • Firewall administrators security, CAST is
Defense (CAST baseline and how to • System administrators an ultimate career
614) harden enterprise • Windows admin destination to network
architecture from defenders
the most advanced
attacks
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5. Software Security Track
ECSA
412-79 Security Analyst
CASE Java Security Engineer
312-96 Java
Despite the increasing number of new applications being created every day, according to the abandoned web
applications—Achilles’ Heel of FT 500 Companies, High-Tech Bridge Security Research—92% of web applications
have security flaws or weaknesses that can be exploited.
*For information on the C|SCU, please look at the foundation track, and for the C|EH, ECSA, and LPT (Master), the
VAPT track.
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6. Governance Track
The five tracks as defined by EC-Council are the unique and rarest career paths that ensure success in a domain
of cybersecurity. Every track begins with the basics of the cybersecurity career path and helps you in reaching the
higher managerial level in the organization. When someone begins the journey in a cybersecurity career, he/she
determines to reach to the level of C-Suite Certification. EC-Council’s Certified Chief Information Security Officer
(C|CISO) is an industry-leading program that recognizes the real-world experiences which are necessary to reach
the highest executive levels of information security.
C|CISO program covers all the five stages that any C-Suite Information Security certification defines:
• Governance
• Security risk management controls and audit management
• Security program management and operations
• Information security core competencies
• Strategic planning, finance, and vendor management
C|CISO is mapped to NICE’s specialty areas of Securely Provision, Oversee and Govern, CO. The certification
opens your career path from mid-management to an upper, executive managerial role like a chief information
security officer, chief security officer, information security director, and information assurance program manager.
There is a lot of effort that goes to be a CISO including experience, certifications, and master program in
cybersecurity. EC-Council believes in reaching the higher peaks by envisioning today, and therefore, completion
of every career track defined by EC-Council brings you closer to governance track, which is ultimately the highest
grade in cybersecurity, CISO.
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Final Thoughts
The large requirement for cybersecurity professionals means that there will be greater demand for trained
professionals and experienced leaders. If you are prepared to make the most of the opportunity and are craving
for a career where you want to create an impact and gain recognition for your contribution, then cybersecurity
would certainly fit the bill!
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EC-Council
[Link]