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What are Cybersecurity Specialists and why are they important?

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Smita Patel
What are Cybersecurity Specialists and why are they important?

The current digital world is a boon to society because of the incredible technological advancement it has brought to us. It has completely revolutionized the way we live, work, and communicate. It has brought so much convenience for us and along with it comes varied forms of cyber threats waiting to exploit all sorts of vulnerabilities present in our devices, organization’s systems, or networks. Therefore, not just organizations, cybersecurity is a top priority for everyone. This makes cybersecurity specialists one of the most important professionals the world needs today.


What are Cybersecurity Specialists?


A Cybersecurity Specialist is a skilled cybersecurity professional who is responsible for safeguarding an organization’s digital assets including systems, networks, and confidential data, from different types of cyber threats. They do various types of work such as:

  • Identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities within the organization’s systems, networks, and applications.
  • Implementing and maintaining security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, data encryption, etc.
  • Incident response by promptly responding to various security incidents including malware attacks and data breaches.
  • Educating other employees about the best cybersecurity practices to avoid becoming a victim of social engineering attacks and even ensure the overall security of the organization.
  • Update themselves with what's latest and trending in the world of cybersecurity so that they implement the most advanced cybersecurity techniques and do not fall behind cyber criminals.


This is more of a senior-level job position and cybersecurity professionals can take the help of the best cybersecurity specialist certifications to advance in their cybersecurity career as Cybersecurity specialist.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybersecurity spending is expected to exceed $10 trillion between 2020-25, so more and more organizations will need certified senior cybersecurity specialists to secure their organizations from evolving forms of cyber crimes.


Skills Required By The Modern-Day Cybersecurity Specialists

Today, the cyber crimes have become more innovative and more sophisticated. Victims don’t even realize they are being trapped until serious damage has occurred. So, to combat the newest forms of cyber-attacks, the modern-day cybersecurity specialist needs to be equipped with the latest cybersecurity tools and technologies. Here are the must-have cybersecurity skills they need:


Technical Skills

  • Network Security

Cybersecurity specialists must have a solid understanding of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, vulnerability scanners, and other cybersecurity tools used to protect networks.

  • System Administration

They must know how to manage user accounts and apply security patches to minimize vulnerabilities.

  • Cryptography and encryption

They should also be familiar with different types of encryption techniques used to protect sensitive data at both rest and transit.

  • Security awareness training

If needed, they should be able to educate and train non-technical employees about the best cybersecurity practices and teach them how to identify and avoid potential cyber threats.


Students and professionals can take advantage of various online cybersecurity courses to learn these technical skills.


Soft Skills

·       Critical thinking and problem-solving: Cybersecurity specialists must be able to analyze security incidents and identify their root causes.

·       Communication and collaboration: Since they need to continuously work with IT teams, management, and law enforcement to address security concerns, they should be good at communication and collaboration.


How To Become A Cybersecurity Specialist?

Here’s a simple roadmap you can follow to become a cybersecurity specialist:


  1. Get the right education: Complete your graduation or post-graduation in computer science, information security, or related fields.
  2. Gain relevant skills: As a cybersecurity specialist, you need to be proficient in various types of cybersecurity specialist skills that we discussed above. Gain these skills through boot camps, online courses, specialized cybersecurity programs, certifications, etc.
  3. Validate your expertise: Though not mandatory, it is recommended to validate your skills and expertise with the top cybersecurity specialist certifications like Certified Senior Cybersecurity Specialist (CSCS®) offered by the United States Cybersecurity Institute (USCSI®). Certifications also offer several benefits apart from increasing your employability, getting higher salaries, networking with other cybersecurity professionals, gaining practical experience, and more.
  4. Build a portfolio of practical projects: You can work on your own cases, participate in competitions, contribute to open-source projects, etc., and build a strong portfolio to showcase to potential employers.
  5. Network: network with other professionals in this field. The better the network, the better the chances of getting your desired cybersecurity job role.


This is a simple roadmap to becoming a cybersecurity specialist. However, there are several paths to becoming one.


Conclusion: A Rewarding Career Path

The cybersecurity career offers a nice blend of intellectual challenge, continuous learning, and handsome salary packages. As we advance in the future, and technology evolves even further, the demand for cybersecurity professionals, especially cybersecurity specialists will soar high. ISC2 has already predicted there will be a cybersecurity workforce gap of around 3.4 million professionals by 2024. So, it is the right time to get into this career path and contribute to strengthening organizations' cybersecurity efforts along with earning higher pay packages. We also recommend getting certified to enhance your credibility and excel in this rewarding career path.


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