Cybersecurity is without any doubt a profession for which the demand is increasing every day as threats on the internet are also on the rise. Due to this demand and the lack of employees to fill the seats it has also become one of the highly paid jobs in the world also satisfying job security at the same time. And now would be the best time to start your career in Cyber Security. According to Bureau of Labor, Statistics professionals get paid up to 3000 Rupees per hour which is jaw-dropping and growth of job is increasing at 28% which is way above average and might easily be in the top 10 as well. In this article, we will give you an idea on why cybersecurity is best for you and how you can kick start your career and how much you can expect in the future if you plan of becoming one.
As you may know ever since the sudden explosion of the internet in a time span of two decades the dependence on technology has multiplied exponentially. Tasks comprising of data storage, communications, and banking which were done offline migrated to the internet which made it convenient to access from any part of the world. Because of this shift, confidential data of organizations and us users such as private info and sensitive details of the company became a part of the internet.Due to this, it made it easier for hackers to steal this information which became a major cause of concern. This made it mandatory to protect the data and communication on the internet. This lead to the rise of cyber security as a profession to protect the data from the bad guys and keep the internet a secure place.
Since most services and activities of most companies are done via the internet today security online is very important for the company since a breach can have a very bad impact on the brand’s reputation. And in this day and age, it has become a must for organizations analyze and maintain their security posture by hiring cybersecurity professionals to do so which has made cybersecurity profession one of the most reliable and demanding jobs in the world.
And here we will look at some of the best cybersecurity professions that can help shape your career as a security expert and we will also discuss how you can become one and how much you can earn if you become one.
1. Network/System Pentester
A pentester(penetration tester) is basically an ethical hacker who performs various tests on an organization’s network by hacking into it how a hacker would and in order to find the vulnerabilities in the network and exploit it just like an offensive hacker. Here is a graphical representation of how it works –
HOW YOU CAN BECOME ONE
In order to become a professional pentester you should have a certification in ethical hacking such as-
- CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker)
- ECSA(EC Council Certified Security Analyst)
- LPT(Licensed Penetration Tester)
Which can be obtained internationally as these certifications are provided by EC council,USA.
Here in Kerala specifically in Calicut and in Kochi RedTeam Academy which is an EC Council approved Cybersecurity training Company provides these certifications and also provides specially crafted courses for beginners which includes interview oriented soft skill training and focus on practical hands-on exposure also helping you with placement such as-
- CPT(Certified Penetration Tester)
- CICSA(Certified IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security Analyst)
ANNUAL SALARY
If you are a fresher you can expect around 5 Lakhs to 10 Lakhs per annum while a skilled Pentester with more than 5 years can earn as much as 60–70 Lakhs per annum.
2. Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator
Like we discussed cyber crimes are on a rise and so is the demand for threat intelligence to analyze how the attack happened and to extract any evidence and to prevent it from happening in the future.
Since most crimes these days happen through the internet Police and Government organizations as well hire skilled Cyber Forensic Investigator to carry out the investigations. Basically, the job will be for you combine your skills in security and skills in investigation, if this is your thing definitely go for it! Here’s an overview of how it works-
HOW YOU CAN BECOME ONE
You can start your career as a cyber forensic investigator by getting certification for Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification(CHFI) from EC Council, USA.
If you are from any part south India you can always reach out to us to know more and to get your certification in CHFI(EC Council) and get extras such interview oriented training and full practical hands-on training.
SALARY
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics in a survey conducted in may 2017 Forensic investigators have an annual wage of $95,510 per year that’s a whopping ₹5,50,000 per month (60+ lakhs per annum), and also the job outlook/demand is at 28% which is way above the average, do you need to look elsewhere in life?!
3.Application pentester
When it comes to Application Pentesting it is similar to how networking pentesting works but in this case, the ethical hacker tries to hack into the web-based applications of the organization since most attacks these days are carried out through vulnerabilities in web applications. And these days most businesses are web based it has become mandatory for such companies to make sure their web security has no vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage on. Let’s take a better look at how it’s done-
HOW YOU CAN BECOME ONE
Well in order to become an application pentester you will need the same certifications and qualifications as a network pentester. We’ll list it again for you-
Certification in ethical hacking such as-
- CEH(Certified Ethical Hacker)
- ECSA(EC Council Certified Security Analyst)
- LPT(Licensed Penetration Tester)
- CASE(Certified Application Security Engineer)
If you are in Kerala and need a more in-depth and hands-on exposure you can always opt for our value-added courses
- CPT(Certified Penetration Tester)
- CICSA(Certified IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security Analyst)
We hope that clears it for now and let’s get to how the wage is
SALARY
According to glassdoor.co.in the monthly pay of an application penter varies from ₹39K — ₹42K per month and it can go upto 4 Lakhs per month in countries such as US according to the same website.
4.Security operations center (SOC) analyst
If you plan on becoming a SOC analyst the task you will be assigned is to monitor the company’s security continuously and improve the company’s security if necessary. A SOC analyst is responsible for detecting, preventing and analyze malicious incidents/activities which prevent the hacker from getting inside the company’s system and compromising it.
Given below are the tasks that will be assigned to a tier 1/ Level 1 soc analyst
And these will be duties assigned to tier 2/ level 2 SOC analysts-
HOW YOU CAN BECOME ONE
To become a SOC Analyst you should basic knowledge in network security and it’s working and have the necessary certifications for it –
- ECSA(EC Council Certified Security Analyst)
- CICSA(Certified IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security Analyst)
SALARY
In India a SOC analyst earns an average of ₹4.4 lakhs per annum and goes as high as ₹10 lakhs per annum (payscale.com) and in countries such as USA SOC analysts earn as much as 4₹6 lakhs per annum (glassdoor.com).
5.Security Architect.
Security architect is technically a network/system administrator who has a good understanding of security and how to implement it. If you plan on becoming a cybersecurity architect you will be responsible for designing the network in respect to the company’s demands such as manage employees maintain system integrity as some employees can have more privileges than others and ensure it stays that way. And while doing it you will also have to keep an eye on the security of the organization as you do it and improve the security posture.
HOW YOU CAN BECOME ONE
You can kick start your career by mastering the following –
- Networking(CCNA)
- Certification in Windows administration, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
(MCSA)
- Certification for Linux, Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
- CSA (Certified Security Analyst)
RedTeam’s CICSA course in specially crafted to include all these into one package which can help you understand all these aspects and also get some extra goodies we provide along with the course which we already discussed above.
SALARY
In India you can earn earns well above ₹19 Lakhs per annum(www.indiatoday.in) and wage is on the rise due to high job demand.
And if you plan on working in other parts of the world the wage easily exceeds ₹70 Lakhs per annum which is astounding.
And yeah to conclude in order to get a job in cyber security it is not necessary that you need to know programming or have deep knowledge in computer science. Not only that but also there is a myth floating around that cybersecurity is a profession for guys but that’s not really the case and women can also shine and show their talents. We also support women who are enthusiastic about cybersecurity through campaigns we organize like WICS (Women In CyberSecurity).
If you are enthusiastic and have a passion for Cybersecurity, definitely go for it as cyber security is one of the most demanding jobs of this era and the demand is only increasing as the number of professionals to fill the seats are limited. Like the saying “as need increases the price for the product increases”.
Originally written for RedTeam Hacker academy
