According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects of cyber security analysts is expected to increase by 28 percent. This is much faster than for any other occupation listed in the U.S. Other occupations are projected to grow between 7 and 13 percent in the same time period.
Career Earning Potential - How Much Can You Make?
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Chief Information Security Officer
Entry-Level: $106,200
Mid-Career: $128,700
Late-Career: $171,900Job Responsibilities:
- Stay up to date with new technological infrastructure and evolving demands
- Oversee company security and information systems, while ensuring compliance with policies and regulations
- Maintain policies, procedures, and standards necessary to protect the integrity and privacy of data
- Provide training and information regarding security systems and information technology
- Manage security breaches and develop contingency plans
- Supervise the application and development of security protocols and procedures
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Chief Security Officer
Entry-Level: $76,300
Mid-Career: $117,900
Late-Career: $167,100Job Responsibilities:
- Focus on creating and maintaining a safe company environment
- Ensure the company’s employees, information, and assets are protected
- Report to the company’s president, vice president, or CEO of human resources
- Stay updated on political developments within the company and outside of it
- Provide information and training regarding information technology and security systems to ensure employees are aware of possible security breaches, who to report them to, and how
- Inform employees of any changes made to the company’s security policies
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Chief Technology Officer
Entry-Level: $98,100
Mid-Career: $129,100
Late-Career: $180,600Job Responsibilities:
- Supervise department heads and lead the company’s technology development team in daily operations as well as set performance goals
- Stay up to date on developments to update the company’s technologies when required
- Generate and submit current reports and ideas for future plans to the executive team after carrying out extensive research
- Conduct product reviews of technical solutions to evaluate and compare their applicability
- Monitor management of all software, hardware, maintenance, databases and licenses, and projections for future requirements
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Forensic Computer Analyst
Entry-Level: $58,100
Mid-Career: $86,400
Late-Career: $100,400Job Responsibilities:
- Contribute to network analysis and continue forensic system efforts to support daily briefs, susceptibility assessments, and basic computer forensic operations
- Ensure current intelligence information is disseminated and communicated in a timely manner by collaborating with other forensic experts
- Ensure entire forensic investigations are performed according to company standards as well as local, state, and federal law
- Conduct forensic research on communication programs, information systems, and foreign network systems
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Cryptographer / Cryptography Skill
Entry-Level: $109,00
Mid-Career: $149,000
Late-Career: $197,000Job Responsibilities:
- Protect important information from duplication, interception, deletion, and/or modification
- Analyze and evaluate cryptographic weaknesses in algorithms and security systems
- Prevent vulnerabilities by designing strong security systems
- Develop mathematical and statistical models to solve security issues, analyze data, and test computational models for accuracy and reliability
- Test new applications and cryptology theories
- Probe communication lines for weaknesses, including secure telephone lines, wireless networks, email, cellphones, etc.
- Ensure financial data are secured and only accessible to authorized users
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Incident Responder / Incident Management Analyst
Entry-Level: $55,100
Mid-Career: $71,000
Late-Career: $74,300Job Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain Incident Response Plans that describe how the company responds to a scenario
- Lead table-top exercises and training simulation plans for maintaining incident response readiness
- Investigate, report, and resolve cybersecurity incidents
- Recommend and apply changes to prevent unauthorized access and improve system security
- Research new security trends, techniques, and methods used for unauthorized data access in order to eliminate any possibility of a system breach
- Collaborate with a Corporate Emergency Response Team to integrate the enterprise-wide response process with the cyber incident response process
- Monitor databases, network systems, and web for system vulnerabilities, while conducting vulnerability assessments
- Ensure compliance with privacy laws and regulations
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Penetration Tester
Entry-Level: $67,200
Mid-Career: $102,400
Late-Career: $113,400Job Responsibilities:
- Utilize a wide variety of tools, including self-constructed, to probe the company's network and identify any methods that an attacker can use to exploit security flaws while checking for other vulnerabilities
- Enhance network integrity to passive threats, such as poor user security practices and password policies
- Work with a cybersecurity and information technology (IT) team
- Take careful notes when conducting security tests to relay relevant information to other team members
- Understand complex security measures, along with how to use the tools and software necessary for job performance
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Risk Analyst
Entry-Level: $55,900
Mid-Career: $72,300
Late-Career: $79,900Job Responsibilities:
- Carefully verifies potential client application information and follows up to obtain missing data and documentation required, as well as verifies information and data submitted by applicants from credit bureaus and other agencies
- Interpret merchants' or corporate personal credit reports and/or financial statements
- Multitask regularly, while using computer applications and software, including Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
- Attend additional workshops, training, conferences, or read relevant professional journals, and travel to meet clients
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Security Administrator, IT
Entry-Level: $51,500
Mid-Career: $73,000
Late-Career: $89,800Job Responsibilities:
- Manage all IT-related safety and security issues within a company including developing policies and systems, while overseeing the implementation of procedures to secure both customer and company data.
- Implement systems that prevent malware from infecting the company’s computer hardware
- Help develop the company's written official guidelines on how to deal with communication and information that include defining what e-mails, files, or digital assets can be shared across networks and workgroups, with the general public or clients
- Work with a security analyst in determining the most efficient and safest way to establish and implement policies
- Ensure all the company's data is kept stable and secure at all times
- Analyze possible vulnerabilities and any unusual activity and react to prevent breaches
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Security Analyst
Entry-Level: $59,400
Mid-Career: $76,200
Late-Career: $89,900Job Responsibilities:
- Perform vulnerability testing, risk analysis, security assessments, and reviews
- Guide clients in implementing security, policy, procedures, and strategies
- Conduct daily assessments of assigned accounts
- Give guidance and security advice to technical contacts
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Security Architect, IT
Entry-Level: $78,600
Mid-Career: $117,300
Late-Career: $134,400Job Responsibilities:
- Secure the company’s network and computers
- Lead projects by researching, planning, and designing elements of security
- Create plans and general design for functionality and intended features
- Delegate tasks to an assigned programming team to develop modules necessary for security structure
- Ensure the final security structure behaves as intended by integrating security modules and tests
- Develop company policies and procedures on how company employees use the security systems
- Research possible authentication protocols and select a scheme to implement the selected protocols
- Respond to problem reports in the system
- Perform post-event analysis to determine how strong the system is and develop any necessary changes
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Security Auditor / Security Testing and Auditing
Entry-Level: $63,000
Mid-Career: $84,000
Late-Career: $103,000Job Responsibilities:
- Plan, implement, and lead an organization’s security audits
- Evaluate and Inspect management procedures, information and financial systems, and security controls
- Evaluate the effectiveness, compliance, and efficiency of operational processes with security policies and government regulations
- Create and administer risk-focused exams for IT systems
- Interview personnel to establish complications and security risks
- Execute and document audit processes on various computer applications and computing environments
- Assess exposures that result from missing or ineffective control practices
- Interpret audit results against defined criteria
- Weigh perspective of conclusions, relevancy, and accuracy against audit evidence
- Provide a verbal and written report of audit findings
- Develop “best practice” recommendations to improve all levels of security
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Security Consultant (Computing/Networking/IT)
Entry-Level: $68,200
Mid-Career: $97,000
Late-Career: $129,500Job Responsibilities:
- Work with computer networks, companies, and technological assets
- Secure the safety and integrity of the organization’s data, including how it is stored and communicated
- Conduct regular audits across teams or departments that work with data regularly
- Identify possible vulnerability areas in the storage and flow of data and implement solutions
- Develop rules for secure data storage
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Security Director
Entry-Level: $42,400
Mid-Career: $71,200
Late-Career: $89,800Job Responsibilities:
- Maintain staff and customer safety while also ensuring an organization's assets are secure
- Create, review, and implement policies relating to the security department
- Oversee compliance with local, state, and federal laws
- Work directly with subordinates and/or fellow employees to build safety and awareness through training programs and more
- Travel to various on-site work locations to investigate safety issues or related events
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Security Engineer
Entry-Level: $68,400
Mid-Career: $97,000
Late-Career: $109,800Job Responsibilities:
- Develop effective computing solutions to improve the company’s security systems and projects
- Invent new ways to solve and improve existing security issues, intrusion detection, and prevention protocols in production
- Handle technical problems with production equipment and applications
- Respond to incidents and perform a forensic investigation
- Assess current workflows in determining possible future issues
- Set up and configure intrusion detection systems and firewalls
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Security Manager
Entry-Level: $52,900
Mid-Career: $62,500
Late-Career: $76,500Job Responsibilities:
- Streamline the companies' security processes
- Make plans and schedules to assign roles to contracted employees and security staff
- Respond to emergencies and administer first-aid if necessary
- Oversee the implementation of safety-related plans, such as universal training programs for employees
- Perform audits and ensure that supervised employees adhere to proper regulations and protocols
- Create and implement policies and procedures along with security standards
- Supervise security staff
- Plan and coordinate activities to safeguard employees, company assets, and guests
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Security Software Developer
Entry-Level: $61,100
Mid-Career: $80,600
Late-Career: $97,700Job Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of developers in creating secure software tools and software design
- Implement and test software
- Develop the company’s software security strategy
- Facilitate workshops and meetings to define client needs and processes
- Create new forensic tools and/or software systems
- Use agile methodologies to participate in the software system's lifecycle development
- Design and construct a proof-of-concept prototype solution
- Institute programming techniques free from technical implementation flaws
- Leverage attack tools to test for software vulnerabilities
- Counsel staff on secure programming practices
- Research and identify flaws, then remedy development errors
- Document software development lifecycle
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Computer Security Specialist
Entry-Level: $52,500
Mid-Career: $84,300
Late-Career: $88,400Job Responsibilities:
- Assess vulnerable access points and security risks by inspecting hardware and analyzing IT specifications
- Design and implement safety measures and data recovery plans
- Install and configure security software and then update regularly
- Use secure networks, password protection, and secure systems through firewalls
- Monitor network activity to identify and communicate issues to IT teams
- Act on privacy breaches and malware threats
- Draft policies and guidelines
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Vulnerability Assessor / Vulnerability Assessment
Entry-Level: $66,600
Mid-Career: $82,000
Late-Career: $100,600Job Responsibilities:
- On a preset basis, run and oversee scans and security audits
- Recognize vital system defects that could lead to invasive system access
- Make it easier to find vulnerabilities using preset tools
- Describe and compose a vulnerability assessment
- Use hands-on and creative strategies to produce false discrepancies and vulnerabilities
- Implement a database of vulnerability assessment
- Stay up to date with vulnerability metrics
- Lead security training for system administrators
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Cyber Security Careers and Jobs
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts cyber security to be one of the fastest growing fields in the near future. The demand for these positions is on the rise and all business is going to need to keep their data safe from potential external and internal threats.
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
The chief information security officer executive oversees cyber security information systems and information security, as well as all departments associated with these systems.
Chief Security Officer (CSO)
These executives deal with information and physical security systems, controlling database and facility entry and all departments that deal with cybersecurity professionals and surrounding policies.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
This executive deals with technology development and implementation. They receive organization reports on the use and effectiveness of technology in regards to information systems security.
Computer Forensics Investigator
Analyze computers or web-based applications in the search for forensic evidence of a crime. This is done in support of the law after commission of a crime, or in efforts to assess a network's vulnerabilities.
Cryptographer
Cryptographers are responsible for deciphering encrypted data. They might do after the commission of a crime. They also work to create better encryption to create stronger networks and safer data storage.
Incident Responder
Incident responders work with companies or governments to respond quickly after a possible threat has been detected. They find the source of the issue, determine if it’s a real threat, and discover how the incursion occurred.
Penetration Tester
Penetration testers seek to create an incursion. By doing so, they reveal the weak points of a security system so that these points can be secured better in the future.
Risk Analyst
Cyber security risk analysts spend their time looking for systems, procedures, or malware which could cause unintended negative occurrences, such as system crashes or slowdowns. They help create procedures to fix these problems quickly if they do occur.
Security Administrator
Cyber security administrators are responsible for dealing with all security and safety issues. They may create procedures or policies in order to maintain a companies overall security.
Security Analyst
A cyber security analyst maintains networks and fix issues that come up during normal operation. They may also identify threats and neutralizing them as quickly as possible.
Security Architect
This position requires you to choose or design security elements, whether physical parts that will become a part of the system or the virtual system that will provide access to all the organization's data.
Security Auditor
These specialists may be kept on retainer or brought in after changes are made to a system. They provide a system-wide audit to make sure there are no chinks in the armor of the network or system.
Security Consultant
Security consultants devise security plans should they experience an incursion or help companies that are just getting started set up their security system from the ground up.
Security Director
The director of security helps create and review all policies and procedures related to security. They also ensure compliance with local or federal laws related to security concerns, such as the safety of patient data.
Security Engineer
A security engineer is responsible for creating computing systems which increases security and they solve any issues turned up by a security audit or incursion incident.
Security Manager
The security manager oversees entry level and senior security staff on a day-to-day basis, making sure staffing is steady and all issues are dealt with and reported to the highest-level security professionals.
Security Software Developer
Specializing in security software solutions, they create software for individuals to use on home computers or advanced solutions meant for multi-billion-dollar industries or even government agencies.
Security Specialist
This is an entry-level position in which a specialist may monitor or troubleshoot system or network issues. They may perform basic test procedures, reporting all activity and feedback to their manager.
Vulnerability Assessor
This security specialist tests systems for vulnerabilities, much in the same way penetration testers do. Instead of performing penetration testing, they look through applications or software for possible weaknesses and data security leaks.