Getting an entry level job as a cyber security professional

The world is striving to make the world a better place using technology. However, not everybody is on the same page with this motive. Some have the evil intentions of exploiting technology, so as to use it to their own benefits.

A lot of companies are being exploited by these people, which are known as black hat hackers. To fight against this, the skills of cybersecurity professionals are needed.

While a lot of companies are looking for individuals to fill those roles, people still find it tasking to land a job in the cybersecurity field.

Getting Started

As  a cybersecurity professional, you would work with a destructive mindset. This is because you need to find and block as many loopholes as possible before the bad guys do. You would be in charge of setting up the security measures such as the firewalls.

You would also be expected to keep the other employees updated with the dos and don’ts when it comes to security. While this is not a direct job requirement, it needs to be done as the employees are most times the weakest links in a company’s security wall.

Finding a job

In truth, companies need people to fill the cybersecurity roles. However, giving the job to just anybody is a greater security risk.

Therefore, you need to have some experience in the IT world to gain some credibility. This may not be easy to do, but it can be done by working in jobs that are related to cybersecurity and changing careers.

Some of these jobs include working as a programmer, web developer, linux system administrator etc.

Another route could be learning bug bounty hunting. Different companies pay bug bounty hunters for finding bugs in their software. This would help you learn about the cybersecurity field and earn at the same time.

Cyber security entry level fields

Let’s look at some roles you could take up when going into cybersecurity.

Information Security Analyst:

As an information security analyst, your tasks would include preparing reports for documenting security breaches, researching on the latest cybersecurity trends, setting the security standards and best practices at the company.

Penetration testing:

As a penetration tester, you would be in charge of checking the vulnerabilities of the system. Basically, the penetration tester is a hacker from inside the company being paid to break into the systems and raise alarms when loopholes are found. The ensures that the vulnerabilities are patched before a bad guy discovers them.

Network Security Analyst:

As a network security analyst, you would be in charge of protecting the company’s networks from cyber attacks. The network security analyst has to recognize and identify any potential threats to the company’s networks. Being concerned about the company’s networks is not enough, the analyst also needs to be concerned about the systems connected to them.

Systems Security Analyst:

As a systems security analyst, you would be in charge of controlling the levels of access to the company’s systems. The analyst would keep the company’s system files safe by performing regular backups and putting in measures to facilitate smooth disaster recovery.

You would also provide orientation to the employees of the company. This is reduce the chances of their systems being used as a means of penetration.

Requirements

Getting into cybersecurity would require you to have the minimum of a highschool diploma, GED or its equivalent. However, a college degree would go a long way.

Degrees aside, having a renowned cybersecurity certification would boost your chances the most.

Salary

The salary of an entry level cybersecurity professional starts at $44,000. The earnings could go as high as $106,000, however this is dependent on the level of experience and certifications.