Top 3 reasons to launch a career in Cyber Security

“Cyber Security market is expected to reach $170.4 billion in 2022” as per a report by Gartner. With this increased demand for Cyber Security, the demand for skilled professionals has also risen significantly. And the chances of 100% employment makes Cyber Security the perfect career choice for job seekers.

According to the latest report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the world is lacking 3 million cybersecurity professionals which makes it the best time to launch a career in Cyber Security. If you are still confused about a career in Cyber Security, here are the top 3 reasons to help you make an informed decision.

A career in Cyber Security: Top 3 reasons why it is a good choice

While the entire world is going digital and rapidly adopting advanced technologies, we are exposed to cyber threats like never before. The global pandemic has added to the risk as 18 million COVID-19 themed malware and phishing emails are being blocked per day. Business is in need of skilled Cyber Security professionals.

Cyber Security can be the career of tomorrow as the demand is not going to reduce anytime soon.

It is an ever-growing industry with immense opportunity for career growth: Growth of online infrastructure, increase in the number of Cybercrimes, increasing use of business data are some of the reasons for the steady growth of Cyber Security. Seven in 10 organizations see Cyber Security enhancement as a top priority this year. Due to rapid automation and digital transformation across sectors and the ensuing requirement of backend support, Cyber Security will continue to be a lucrative field for talent to explore for career opportunities. The Cyber Security field is currently experiencing a 43% talent shortage with skills such as application development security, cloud security risk management, threat intelligence, data privacy and security is most in demand.

Lucrative salary: NASSCOM reports that despite having the largest IT talent pool in the world, India simply lacks skilled Cyber Security professionals. In fact, the need for experienced professionals is so high that companies are willing to pay a premium salary to top talent. According to Indeed, the average salary for a Network Security Engineer is 6 lakhs, 5.5 lakhs for Cyber Security Analyst, 21 lakhs for Security Architect and 23 lakhs for CISO. If you build the right expertise, you will be able to bag your dream job in no time.

A variety of industries and job roles to choose from: Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing and many other sectors are facing cyber threats with rapid digital transformation. Industries dealing with a high amount of consumer data are at risk of data breach. So, various organizations, both government and non-government, are looking to protect themselves from cybercrimes. The varied Cyber Security job roles are spread across industries and organizations, offering both technical and non-technical job roles.

In-demand job roles

Based on your qualification and skill set, you can choose from the wide range of job roles that are available. Let us look at some of the most in-demand Cyber Security job roles,

• Ethical Hacker
• Information Security Analyst
• Penetration Tester/Vulnerability Analyst
• Digital Forensic Analyst
• Security Software Developer
• Chief Information Security Officer
• Network Engineer/Security Architect
• Incident Handler

Must-have skills for a Cyber Security professional

Cyber Security is the biggest threat to the world economy over the next decade. Businesses and organizations are continuously looking for skilled Cyber Security professionals. While the demand for talented professionals is increasing, there is a huge demand-supply gap. The acute shortage of skilled professionals needs immediate attention.

So, if you wish to launch a career in Cyber Security, you must build the right skill set. Here are some of the must-have skills for Cyber Security professionals,

• Programming Languages- C, C++, Python, PHP, JavaScript, SQL
• Cloud Security
• Blockchain Security
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• IoT Security
• Problem-solving
• Technical Aptitude
• Attention to Detail
• Communication Skills
• Fundamental Computer Forensics Skills
• An Understanding of Hacking

Also read: Top 5 in-demand job roles in Artificial Intelligence (AI)  

Cyber Security expertise can be built through professional certifications courses. There are various advanced certification courses that are available on many well-known EdTech platforms. These courses are designed for fresh graduates and working professionals. The courses are a combination of theory and practical which will allow you to master in-demand skills and build world-class expertise. You just need to choose the right course that meets your requirements and get started.