6 Skills Cybersecurity Professionals Must Hone to Land Higher Roles

Today, we live in a tech-driven world where everything happens online. From shopping and making payments to storing data, everything is a click away. As technology continues to make lives more accessible, it also exposes us to the threat of data leakages, identity theft, and various serious cybercrimes. That’s one of the most prominent reasons cybersecurity is at its peak. 

Every business, whether big or small, is looking for cyber experts to protect their IT infrastructure and prevent the threat of hacking. These professionals hold expertise in safeguarding digital data and installing encrypted security protocols. Have you thought of stepping into this industry? Besides a certified degree and program, this field demands passion, dedication, and in-depth knowledge. 

Likewise, it also demands a diverse skillset since the cyber threat landscape is continuously changing. Modern-day hackers are becoming smarter daily and finding new ways to break into systems. As a result, cybersecurity experts must prepare to learn and transition continually. If you want to learn more about excelling in this field, keep reading. Here we have outlined six skills cybersecurity professionals must hone to land higher roles. 

• Technical Aptitude 

As the name implies, cybersecurity is a tech-focused industry. It involves experts looking into troubleshooting, maintaining IT systems, network monitoring, and providing real-time security solutions. Therefore, every cybersecurity professional should equip themselves with some technical knowledge. After all, a base-level degree won’t suffice to secure higher roles in this industry. If you lag technical expertise, consider upskilling yourself. 

For this purpose, you can enroll in an online masters of cybersecurity since it’s flexible and manageable to pursue alongside work and other commitments. Online programs have become popular among employed individuals since they offer convenience and flexibility without time or financial constraints. A master’s program will equip you with the essential skills to thrive as a cybersecurity expert. In addition, it will open doors to bigger and better opportunities. 

• Coding 

Previously, coding was a skill limited to programmers but not anymore. Today, it has become a computer language that helps develop software solutions. Hence, understanding basic coding languages like HTML and JavaScript is essential for professionals, especially cybersecurity experts. These people work on different software solutions to implement controls to prevent cyberattacks and hacking. 

Familiarity with these languages can also provide valuable insights into how they’re prone to security breaches. You can identify the gaps and devise strategies to combat all security threats. If you don’t know much about coding and programming languages, try learning one or two like C, C++, SQL, or NET. It will help you stay ahead and discover the attacker’s strategies while enabling secure interactions between all applications. 

• Network Security Control 

As dependence on Wi-Fi continues to increase, networks threaten organizations. As a cybersecurity expert, you must develop a solid understanding of networking that involves data transmission services. It will help protect the organization’s data while your PC connects with different network domains. 

Further, cybersecurity professionals should know about advanced network protocols like DNS, SMTP, and HTTP to build a protected interface. In addition, learn about different firewalls like IPS/WAF, DNS, and proxy to create a gated wall between the network and services. It will close doors for unauthorized access in the system, keeping the company’s network secure. 

Lastly, you must develop network architect skills to design, implement, and protect distributed interconnected networks. These skills are helpful for organizations relying on interconnected IoT devices to exchange information. Cybersecurity experts must implement controls to prevent cyberattacks on IoT networks, as these devices are also connected to Wi-Fi. 

• Penetration Testing 

Are you aware of standard hacking tactics and tricks? As a cybersecurity professional, you must think from a hacker’s mindset and find ways to break into the system. It will allow you to find loopholes in the IT infrastructure; that way, you can protect the organization from malicious attacks. In the cyber world, this is known as penetration testing. Penetration testers or cyber experts deploy hacking techniques to test and evaluate a company’s security systems. Simply put, they try to break into the organization’s system, similar to how an actual hacker would. 

If the test attack succeeds, the system is still vulnerable to cyberattacks. Hence, the cybersecurity team can use the results from test data to develop improved protection strategies. It also enables them to overcome vulnerabilities before hackers take advantage of them. Therefore, perform these tests on your private system to improve this skill. You can also use tools like Nessus or Metasploit to improve your penetration testing skills. 

• Forensics and Incident Response

As a cybersecurity expert, you will find yourself in challenging situations where you must decide on-spot. That usually happens when a data breach occurs. The cybersecurity team is expected to proactively respond to the incident, minimize the damage, and investigate the attack. And for this, you must brush up on your forensics and incident response skills. It will allow you to examine data and discern the source of the cyberattack, ensuring you can prevent it from happening in the future. 

Furthermore, you must know how to respond to the incident. It involves data recovering, identifying the attack’s origin, and improving the firewall’s security. Your ability to conduct these forensic investigations will help the organization minimize losses and recover from the cyberattack. Thus, start familiarizing yourself with digital forensics so you can conduct malware analysis and identify the root cause of cyberattacks. 

• Blockchain Security

Almost every organization has adopted blockchain technology to facilitate crypto users and utilize its security protocols. Therefore, every cybersecurity professional should learn about blockchain security. First, you must understand how blockchain is different from standard IT interfaces. Blockchain uses a decentralized ledger that makes networks more secure. In addition, it gives users an online identity that secures their data against breaches. 

Moreover, learn about digital wallets and how they facilitate users. These wallets contain verified identity details, names, addresses, and financial data. Cybersecurity experts can utilize this information to devise authentication protocols for enhanced security parameters. 

Final Thoughts

The demand for cybersecurity professionals is spiking in today’s ever-evolving tech-driven business landscape. Employers are willing to offer solid compensation packages for experts with a technical aptitude and know-how of cybersecurity and protocols. So, now is the time for all cybersecurity professionals to upskill and brace themselves for upcoming challenges. From blockchain security and coding to incident response, ensure you are well-versed with all cybersecurity protocols to thrive in this landscape.