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Home / Blog / Learn How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer

Learn How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer

20 Sep 2021

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Cybersecurity Engineer

Learn How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career areas. The opportunities it has are limitless because of the internet. The world of phones and computing is our new normal. Unfortunately, the system’s security of these devices can be compromised. Hence the need for a cybersecurity engineer.

Landing a career in cyber security doesn’t come easy. There are certain skill sets which one must hone to get there. Read on to find more about getting into the cyber security space.

Who Is A Cybersecurity Engineer?

A cybersecurity engineer designs and implements network solutions. They secure the system against cyber-attacks, hackers, or any persistent threats. They also test and monitor those systems persistently to ensure they are up to date and are functioning correctly.

Proactive cybersecurity engineering entails finding and updating software, creating firewalls, and running encryption programs. Organizations hire cybersecurity engineers to protect their data that preserves the organizational reputation.

A cybersecurity engineer needs to be familiar with the latest trends in mobile and computer technology. Examples are virus detection, antivirus software, content filtering, and firewall architecture.

Depending on your workplace, you can be referred to as a data security engineer, web security engineer, or IT engineer.

Skills You Need as A Cybersecurity Engineer.

To become competent in your career as a cybersecurity engineer,  possessing both soft and hard skills is necessary. The skills are what will help you come up with tangible solutions.

Hard Skills

Programming

You have to be proficient in cyber programming languages such as Java, Python, C/C++,  Go, and Ruby. Python is excellent for malware analysis and automating business processes.

Through Java, you can exploit system vulnerabilities. With the knowledge of this language, you can prevent hackers from interfering with security networks and systems. The C programming language allows you to create anti-virus programs to help in identifying malware. 

Ethical Hacking

You need to be knowledgeable in ethical hacking to create systems that can support it. Ethical hacking is an attempt to access an application, data, and or computer system. Cybersecurity engineers employ this tactic to find vulnerabilities in the system and come up with a fix.

Ethical hackers sometimes use proxies like a data center proxy, or residential proxy, to conceal their IP address. Having a residential proxy is an excellent way to succeed in the cybersecurity projects you are working on. It’s the most trustworthy of the existing proxies. You have to ensure it’s ethically sourced. Thus get one from a reliable dealer.

A data center proxy is a swift system that helps users inexpensively harvest data.

Understand Network Architecture

Computer network architecture is the logical and physical design of software, hardware, media, and protocols for data transmission. You need to be  familiar with local free networks (LANs) and  wide-area networks (WANs)

Learn Operating Systems and Database Platforms.

People in the cybersecurity space should be comfortable working on different operating systems like windows, Linux, and Unix. You need the necessary skills in database platforms like MySQL and MS SQL.

Computer Forensic Skills

Computer forensics is the process of investigating cybercrimes. You need skills to identify and deal with digital data while obeying the law.

Networking

Image source: pixabay

Networking includes DNS, encryption techniques and technologies, routing protocols, and Virtual Private Network (VPN).  Also, understand network security technologies like encryption and firewalls.

Soft Skills

Excellent communication skills

You’ll need to explain complex ideas in a plain language to non-specialists who are not technical people.

Problem-solving

Solving problems is an integral part of a cybersecurity engineer.  You’ll have to deal with attacks and breaches and analytical thinking is key.

Learning capacity

Cybersecurity trends keep on changing. Hence, you always have to study trends and vulnerabilities and combat the new threats with new fixes..

Responsibilities of A Cybersecurity Engineer

Cyber security performs different tasks, depending on a company’s size. Some of them include:

- Security monitoring - monitor systems for intrusions or checking out irregular behavior.

- Evaluates an organization’s security needs before establishing the best practices that work for the system.

- Investigate security-related issues. You need to use digital forensic methods to track attackers and figure out the origin of the attacks.

- Regular tests and scans to check for any vulnerabilities.

- Designs, implements, maintains and oversees security measures required to protect differently.

- Troubleshoots all network and security breaches.

- Ensure existing data and the organization’s infrastructure is safe.

- Help in any security breach investigations.

Steps to Become A Cybersecurity Engineer

There are different steps you can follow to become a security engineer.

Research

Before venturing into the industry, do some research and try figuring out everything about the industry. Examples include different kinds of training, certification needs, and where you can acquire education.

Learning

Education is an essential aspect of actualizing your cybersecurity dreams. You’ll require a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity or a closely related field like information management or computer science. For senior management positions,  you might need a Ph.D. or Masters in security engineering.

Networking

Networking is vital in discovering new opportunities that present themselves within the industry. It’s through knowing people that you get to hear of new opportunities whenever they crop.

The Opportunities of a Cybersecurity Engineer

Once you get your certification, you can apply for several job roles that require you to have the same skill set.

- Threat analyst

- Cybersecurity Analyst

- Information Security Engineer

- Network Security Engineer.

Some of the global companies hiring cybersecurity engineers across the globe are:

-  IBM

- American Express

- SAP

- Cisco

- Toyota

- Amazon

- Microsoft.

How Much Does  A Cybersecurity Engineer Earn?

According to career explorer, an average cybersecurity engineer earns around $74k per year. Senior-level engineers earn around $ 96k annually, while beginners earn around $ 59K per year. However, the salary would vary from one region to another, and from one job to the next.

Final Thoughts

The demand for cybersecurity engineers is on the rise. Both small and large businesses, government parastatals, and different organizations use digital platforms. Hence, they are at risk of being attacked anytime. Most companies are hiring cybersecurity engineers to protect their company data.

With the right skills and knowledge, you can begin your cybersecurity career.

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