Cyber Security Specialist

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Cyber Security Specialist

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. Cyber security specialists are in demand with a continued growth projection and a robust salary. This profession will continue to evolve as technology advances and as new security concerns continue to develop.

Job Description

Job Description

Cyber security specialists’ main focus is to keep an organization’s data and IT infrastructure secure, which requires a diverse set of skills and responsibilities. This IT professional will:

  • Conduct threat and risk analysis and analyze the business impact of new and existing systems and technologies to eliminate risk, performance, and capacity issues. They implement vulnerability assessments and configure audits of operating systems, web servers, and databases and detect patterns, insecure features, and malicious activities in the infrastructure.
  • Perform research, testing, evaluation, and deployment of security technology and procedures.
  • Run diagnostics on any changes to data to verify any undetected breaches.
  • Develop custom systems for specialized security features and procedures for software systems, networks, data centers, and hardware.
  • Develop and implement information security standards, guidelines, and procedures.
  • Develop firewalls to secure the network infrastructure.
  • Keep current with new intrusion methods and develop protection plans. They have an in-depth understanding of vulnerabilities, management systems, and common security applications.
  • Conduct counteractive protocols and report incidents. They offer customized risk ratings for vulnerabilities based on company policies and maintain IT security controls documentation.
  • Grant permissions and privileges to authorized users.
  • Configure anti-virus systems and consoles and conduct software upgrades.
  • Manage the pay-per-click (PPC) system from threats and identify and manage incidents to mitigate risks.
  • Have an in-depth understanding of OWASP testing methodology, Dynamic and Static Application Security Testing, re-engineering, automation, ASP.NET/JAVA, IDS/IPS systems, Burp Suite, Nmap, Nessus, Qualys, and Metasploit, etc.
  • Manage relationships and coordinate with clients and service providers while providing customized security assessments, implementing security policies, designing security training materials, organizing training sessions, providing technical support, and communicating security policies and procedures.

Educational Qualifications

The Cyber Security Specialist must have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, telecommunications, computer engineering, or any related field. Some organizations prefer candidates with prior and relevant work experience and a master’s degree or a particular specialization.

Certifications

To complement your education and experience, the following certifications are beneficial:

  • CompTIA Security+
  • Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate – Routing and Switching (CCNA)
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate – Security (CCNA-Security)
  • Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) – Windows Server Administration Fundamentals

Salary

According to ZipRecruiter, the cyber security specialist annual base salary is $111,052  in the US, and Glassdoor lists the annual salary as $103,746 per year.

Job Outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts cyber security specialist opportunities will grow 33 percent between 2020 and 2030, which is on a much faster pace than average for all US professions.

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