Cybersecurity is one of the most in-demand skills of the 21st century. With the sharp rise in cyber crime witnessed by the world, a rise in the demand for cyber security professionals has also been noticed. As a profession, cyber security is fulfilling, well-paying and offers high job security. If you are someone who is seeking to pursue this as a career, then this article is for you. To build a successful career in any field, you need to have all the skills and qualities needed in that profession. In cybersecurity, you will require a combination of technical as well as non-technical skills to succeed. The non-technical skills are mostly soft skills like strong communication skills, teamwork skills and leadership skills. These are something that is either in-built in people or can be acquired with time. However, technical skills are something that you will have to learn before you start your career. These are those skills that will facilitate your work on a primary basis. Below are listed a bunch of these technical skills that no cybersecurity specialist can do without.
- Hacker like skills:
Cybersecurity is the art of securing digital systems from cyber threats and hackers. If you can’t think like a hacker, how will you anticipate security threats and fix them? Thus, it is vital that you have a hacker-like mind that allows you to make effective contributions in the security of an organisation. If you desire to become a CEH professional, then this skill will be indispensable in your career. - Programming knowledge:
Remember that even though coding is not necessary for all cyber security job roles, it is an essential part of some. If your job requires you to understand programming, then you will have to learn it. In any case, programming languages come in handier than you think, especially in the cybersecurity industry. If you are trained in coding, you will be able to identify and correct bugs that could threaten the organisation’s safety. - Cloud security skills:
Understanding how cloud computing works and how to secure a cloud is a must-have cybersecurity skill in today’s time. Cloud is an essential part of many businesses today and many cyber attacks take place via clouds. Having a deep knowledge base of clouds and their security mechanisms will help you in your information security job, no matter which path you choose. - Intrusion detection:
As a digital protector of your organisation, it will be your responsibility to detect threats and intrusion in the systems. Having strong intrusion detection skills will are required to stop unauthorised traffic, people and software from entering your system. - Understanding Network architecture:
Understanding how networks work and having knowledge of network architecture is necessary for any cyber security professional. If you are undergoing ethical hacking training or penetration testing training, you will also learn how to pivot between networks and access hidden ones. Moreover, if you are planning to become a network defender, then this will prove to be a key skill in your career. - Malware detection and analysis:
As a cybersecurity professional, it will be your daily job to protect your organisation from cyber threats like malware, trojans, ransomware, viruses, worms etc. You need to know how to identify different threats and understand various types of malware so you can analyse them and remove them from your system. Without this necessary skill, you will not be able to defend your digital world completely. You will also need to keep updating your knowledge about malware and other cyber threats as they keep on upgrading from time to time.
All said and done, cybersecurity is a dynamic industry and you must ensure that you are updating your technical know-how regularly to keep up with the job requirements.
