Kworld Trend / 5 key skills to protect against cyberattacks, A career in cybersecurity typically means leveraging a combination of technical and human skills to protect your organization’s data. Having the right set of skills can be critical to getting a job. But what skills should you focus on?
To find out, we reviewed the cybersecurity analyst job listings on LinkedIn and Indeed to find the skills that are most frequently included in job descriptions (as of December 2021). Target, Visa, Delaware North, and Mosaic are among the companies hiring these skills.
What skills does a cyber security analyst need? |5 key skills to protect against cyberattacks comptr.shriekyblog
Cybersecurity analysts use a combination of technical and workplace skills to assess vulnerabilities and respond to security incidents. If you have an information technology ( IT ) background, you may already have some technical skills, and many workplace skills carry over from a variety of occupations.
10 Cyber Security Technical Skills
5 key skills to protect against cyberattacks comptr.shriekyblog
1. Scripting
Scripting is a type of coding where you make a program do something. The difference is that markup is static, while scripts can make images and text move. Knowing how to create tools and automate repetitive tasks using languages like Python or PowerShell will allow you to become a more efficient analyst. Python in particular ranks among the most popular languages in cybersecurity. As a bonus, it’s also one of the easiest to learn.
2. Controls and frameworks
A cybersecurity framework provides a set of best practices, policies, tools, and security protocols designed to help secure an organization’s data and business operations. A control is a measure your company uses to protect itself from vulnerabilities and attacks.
The framework you use will vary depending on your organization and industry. You may find it helpful to familiarize yourself with some of the most popular cybersecurity frameworks, including:
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
- Center for Information Security (CIS)
- System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2)
3. Intrusion detection
As a cyber security analyst, a large part of your job will involve monitoring network activity for potential intrusions. Knowing how to use intrusion detection software – Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) products – enables you to quickly identify suspicious activity or security breaches.
4. Monitor network security
Many cyber security attacks occur over a network of connected devices. The same technologies that allow companies to collaborate can also create security vulnerabilities. To keep your organization secure, you’ll need to understand wired and wireless networks and how to secure them.
This course gives you the background needed to understand basic network security. You will learn about local area networks, TCP/IP, OSI framework.
Skills you will build:
Database Vulnerabilities, Network Security, Sql Injection, Cyber Security, Network Basics
5. Operating systems
Security threats exist across all operating systems, whether on computers or mobile devices. Prepare to succeed as a security analyst by building a deep knowledge of macOS, Windows, and Linux as well as their command line interfaces. You may also find it helpful to study the threats and vulnerabilities associated with mobile operating systems, such as iOS and Android.
6. Incident response
While prevention is the goal of cybersecurity, rapid response when security incidents occur is critical to minimizing damage and loss. Effective incident handling requires familiarity with your organization’s incident response plan, as well as skills in digital forensics and malware analysis.
Learn more about what incident response is and why it’s important.
7. Cloud
As more and more companies move to cloud environments, professionals with cloud experience are in demand. According to data from GIAC certifications, cloud security skills can come with a salary of over $15,000. The need for cloud security skills is expected to increase by 115 percent over the next four years, making it the most lucrative skill in the industry.
8. DevOps
Security risks often exist within the apps themselves. More and more companies are adding a security focus to DevOps to help ensure applications are secure from the start.
9. Know the threat
“Know your enemy.” Perhaps General Sun Tzu was talking about cyber security. You can be a more effective cyber security analyst by keeping up to date with developments in the threat landscape. If you’re new to the field, start with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10—a document that identifies the top 10 Web application security risks.
This course gives you the background needed to acquire cyber security skills as part of the Cyber Security Analyst Professional Certificate Program
Skills you will build:
Application Security, Threat Intelligence, Network Defensive Tactics, Security Analyst, Cyber Security
10. Regulatory Guidelines
Cyber security must protect the organization from attack, theft, and loss, as well as comply with industry regulations. If you work for a company that conducts business around the world, familiarizing yourself with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be beneficial. Cybersecurity analysts in the healthcare industry will need to understand how to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) – a US federal law that helps protect the privacy of medical records. Some states within the United States have their own privacy laws as well.
5 skills in the field of cyber security in the workplace
Here is: 5 key skills to protect against cyberattacks comptr.shriekyblog
1. Communication
Both written and verbal communication play a major role in cyber security. As an analyst, you may need to communicate technical concepts to individuals without a technical background, such as executives or legal teams. You may also be asked to write incident reports, where you need to document what you did in a concise and clear manner.
2. Cooperation
As a cyber security analyst, you will likely work with a larger security team than other cyber security professionals. You may also need to collaborate with other teams within your company (legal, IT, PR) or share your findings with other organizations or the larger cybersecurity community.
3. Risk management
Your ability to consider what might go wrong, assess the severity of threats, and measure potential impact enables you to focus your energy on the tasks where you will have the greatest impact.
4. Adaptability
Cybercriminals are constantly modifying and enhancing their attacks. Technology continues to advance, introducing new vulnerabilities. Adopting a lifelong learner mindset can help you keep pace with these changes (or stay ahead).
5. Critical thinking
Working in cybersecurity sometimes means making high-risk decisions about the security of your organization. Developing your critical thinking skills can help you:
- Ask the right questions
- Evaluate and evaluate data
- Set your assumptions
- Consider the alternatives
- Understand the context
- Draw conclusions based on the data
Learn how to become a better critical thinker with these tips from IBM. 5 key skills to protect against cyberattacks
