How to become a cyber security analyst (plus skills)

You can pursue a career in cyber security analysis if IT and data safety intrigues you. This profession may involve reviewing companies' networks for breach and hack attempts and deploying safety mechanisms. Researching it can help you understand its responsibilities, duties, expectations and requirements. In this article, we explain what a cyber security analyst is, discuss how to become a cyber security analyst, highlight the profession's crucial skills and review its salary range.

You can learn how to become a cyber security analyst by reviewing the job's description. A cyber security analyst is an IT expert who designs and implements systems and protocols to safeguard companies’ networks, data and files from unauthorised access and use. Their roles may vary depending on the organisation's security needs. Here are some duties of a data security analyst:

monitoring organisation's systems

conducting network assessments and vulnerability tests

assessing third-party vendors, like financial services providers, for data security compliance

monitoring files' access and use

establishing and enforcing organisational cyber security policies and procedures

training staff on cyber awareness

launching simulated cyberattacks to test employees' preparedness levels

helping organisations recover from data breaches

updating executives on the company's cybersecurity posture

designing cyber security solutions that suit the organisation's needs

ensuring the company complies with data security standards and regulations

Cyber security analysts often require advanced IT training and considerable experience. Below are seven steps you may use to launch or advance your cyber security analyst career:

You can start by researching cyber security analysts' duties, expectations, work environments, salary ranges, job opportunities and career outlooks. This process can help you understand the career extensively, determine if it suits you and identify a specialisation. Here are some tips for researching the cyber security analyst profession:

Highlight your needs or wants. Outline your career goals, salary expectations and ideal work environments. If the job matches these needs, it may be your ideal profession.

Audit your skill levels and capabilities. Another crucial aspect of researching a career can be to evaluate your skills and capabilities and if they make you a suitable candidate. This step may also involve identifying your skill levels and expertise you can learn before applying for cyber security analyst jobs.

Define your reasons for pursuing a career in this field. Highlight your motivations and why you have an interest in the profession. Cyber security analysis may be your ideal career if your reasons are valid and can remain relevant several years from today.

Identify cyber security analyst career opportunities. Cyber security analysts can work in diverse industries. List the profession's job opportunities and identify your specialisation.

Research the career's requirements. Several organisations rank cyber security analysts as managerial employees. The position may require IT-related degrees and considerable work experience.

Review the profession's job outlook and salary range. Research the demand for cyber security analysts today and ten years ahead to determine its outlook. You may also determine its salary range to identify if it suits your financial needs.

Consult existing cyber security analysts. Another effective way to research the profession is by interviewing experienced professionals. You can ask them about the profession's work experiences, benefits and challenges.

Visit IT support companies to learn more about the career. If you have access to a local IT support company or IT guy, you can request to visit their workstations and have a personal feel of the profession. You may ask them to handle less sensitive tasks, like customer support over the phone and learn as your research.

Develop a career plan. The last step can be to create a career plan. Illustrate how you want to progress in the profession, including timelines and promotion strategies for every position.

To launch a career in cyber security analysis, you may need at least a bachelor's degree in a data security-related program. Depending on your career goals and specialisation, you can earn a degree in information technology, computer science, network administration, information security and assurance, database management, computer programming or cloud computing. Professionals in this field can specialise in various areas, including:

cloud security

penetration testing

endpoint protection

data loss prevention

forensic analysis and incident response

forensic analysis

network defence

application security

critical infrastructure security

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) certifies and maintains a list of all cyber security experts in the UK. Earning an NCSC certification can show potential employers you're a trustworthy professional with the requisite skills. NCSC has training programs that all experts complete before accreditation. You can apply for an Awareness or Application level certification depending on your education level. The former typically applies to entry-level data security experts, while the latter is for experienced cyber security experts who want to advance their careers. Other crucial certifications you can as a cyber security analyst include:

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISP)

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

Global Information Assurance Security Essentials Certification (GIAC SSCP)

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

While employers may prefer cyber security analysts with graduate degrees, you can secure a job in some companies with a bachelor's degree and an NCSC certification. Alternatively, you can start with other related positions, such as penetration testers, incident responders, cryptographers, forensic experts and security engineers. You may use these jobs to increase your experience level, build your portfolio and learn the application of theoretical data security concepts to practical scenarios.

A graduate degree in a data security-related field can enhance your competitiveness and increase your chances of getting cyber security analyst jobs. It may also enable you to advance your career and negotiate higher salaries. Cyber security analysts typically earn graduate and postgraduate degrees in information technology, computer engineering, information assurance, cyber security operations and leadership, computer science and cyber security engineering. Find a program that matches your specialisation and career plan. For example, if you want to specialise in forensics analysis, you can get a master's degree in computer science.

Cyber security analysis, like several IT careers, can be dynamic. Its concepts, principles and techniques often change rapidly. For example, intrusion detection and prevention methods that might have been perfect a few years ago may not apply today. As cyber actors develop new tricks, data security experts may create new safety systems and protocols in response. Learning trends in the industry can help you stay up-to-date and enhance your employability. You can achieve this by attending cyber security seminars, following popular blogs, subscribing to reputable industry publications and enrolling in short courses.

A well-written CV can help you make an excellent first impression and convince the hiring manager you're the most suitable candidate. When you identify an opening that interests you, review its job description and specification for duties, expectations, tasks and requisite skills. Ensure your CV has all the essential requirements in the specification. Doing so can show the employer you're a serious candidate who has researched the job, understands its expectations and has the requisite expertise.

Hiring managers may want to know your cyber security expertise before giving you the job. Below are some skills you can add to your CV:

Risk identification and management: Cyber security analysts often monitor and assess companies’ networks for cyber threats. They may also develop and implement mechanisms to eliminate these risks, making this career's threat identification and management skills essential in this career.

Data management and analysis: This skill can enable you to analyse, compile and organise company data. It may also help you safeguard files from unauthorised access and use.

Cloud implementation and management: You may require knowledge of cloud computing processes and systems to help your employer migrate to cloud environments. This skill can also help you evaluate cloud service providers and identify the best vendor, depending on the company's needs.

Logical reasoning and troubleshooting: Organisations often rely on cyber security analysts to identify and resolve glitches in their networks. This task may require an expert who can reason logically, analyse the situation, troubleshoot the challenge and create an effective solution.

Adaptability: This skill may involve the ability to learn and embrace emerging industry trends. It can help you stay up-to-date and implement the latest techniques.

Communication skills: You may require practical communication skills to translate complex IT jargon into simple terms and formats for other employees and executives. The more colleagues understand a cyber security program or project, the more they're likely to embrace it.