Career paths in Cybersecurity industry: Scope and tips

In a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected, the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is at an unprecedented level. By 2021, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions, according to a recent report. The ever-increasing reliance on technology, the rise in cyber threats, and the requirement for comprehensive data protection across industries all contribute to this surge in demand.

Securing sensitive information and digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to businesses of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses. As a result, people looking for a challenging and rewarding career will find plenty of opportunities in the cybersecurity industry.

Taking advantage of the rising demand and contributing to the global effort to combat cyber threats, five key strategies can assist aspirant professionals in building a successful career in cybersecurity by Karmesh Gupta, CEO and Co-founder, WiJungle. Take a look below.

Building a successful career in cybersecurity begins with obtaining the necessary education and certifications. According to industry experts, around 70 percent of cybersecurity job postings require at least a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. A strong educational background provides you with a solid foundation in cybersecurity principles, technologies, and best practices.

Consider pursuing a degree in computer science, information technology, or cybersecurity. Additionally, industry-recognised certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) can enhance your credibility and marketability.

As the cybersecurity field expands, specialising in a specific area can set you apart from the competition. According to a recent study by Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2021.

This shortage of skilled professionals presents an excellent opportunity to carve out a niche for yourself. Specialisations can include network security, cloud security, digital forensics, or secure software development.

By becoming an expert in a specific area, you can position yourself as an invaluable asset to organizations seeking specialized knowledge.

While education and certifications are essential, practical experience is equally vital in the cybersecurity field. According to a report by Burning Glass Technologies, 84 percent of cybersecurity job postings require at least three years of experience. Look for opportunities to gain hands-on experience through internships, apprenticeships, or entry-level positions.

Seek out organisations that offer exposure to real-world cybersecurity challenges and allow you to work alongside experienced professionals. Practical experience will help you develop the skills and confidence necessary to handle complex cybersecurity issues.

Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, with new threats and technologies emerging constantly. It is crucial to commit to continuous learning and professional development to stay ahead of the curve. Stay updated with the latest industry trends, advancements, and best practices.

Attend conferences, webinars, and workshops to expand your knowledge and network with industry experts. According to a study by (ISC)², 72 percent of cybersecurity professionals believe that continuous education is essential to staying current in the field. Embrace a mindset of lifelong learning to remain competitive and adaptable.

Networking is vital in any career, and cybersecurity is no exception. Building a robust professional network can open doors to job opportunities, mentorship, and valuable industry insights. Attend industry events, join online forums and social media groups, and engage with professionals in the field.

According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 85 percent of all jobs are filled through networking. Cultivate relationships with established professionals who can provide guidance and support as you progress in your cybersecurity career.

The rising demand for cybersecurity professionals presents an unprecedented opportunity for individuals looking to forge a prosperous and impactful career. As organisations across industries continue to grapple with the growing threat landscape, the need for skilled cybersecurity experts remains paramount.

By adopting these five strategies, you can position yourself at the forefront of this thriving field. As you embark on your cybersecurity journey, remember to stay adaptable, stay current with industry trends, and remain committed to refining your skills.

With dedication and a proactive mindset, you can contribute to safeguarding digital ecosystems and play a crucial role in protecting sensitive information from the ever-evolving cyber threats of our modern world.

5 Tips for Modernizing Your Security Operations Center Strategy

Investing time, money, or resources to improve security maturity, increase resilience against cyberattacks, and lower risk to the company in the contemporary digital world is known as modernizing your security operation center (SOC) strategy.

The cybersecurity sector has experienced tremendous growth during the past 10 years. Due to factors including digital transformation, mobile devices, dispersed and remote workforces, and the convergence of IT and operational technologies (OT), organizations everywhere face a continually changing landscape. Chief information security officers (CISOs) must create a solid and dependable SOC strategy that is scalable in the face of various security threats to reduce risk to the business. Change is continuous; economic, social, and geopolitical factors will continue to drive digital transformation, which will, in turn, continue to change the threat landscape.

There are many business advantages of a modern SOC approach. These include building consumer trust and brand loyalty, enabling growth while protecting sensitive and proprietary data, enhancing return on investment, avoiding operational disruptions, and exceeding compliance requirements.

Two major drivers for SOC modernization include:

Aligning with changes in business environment: Due to COVID-19, organizations globally had to transition rapidly to remote work, thereby increasing the risk to sensitive data. Many made security compromises to keep things running, including bringing less secure home networks and personal electronics into use. Even though many businesses were already moving away from perimeter-based protection strategies, the changing business environment demonstrated the necessity for implementing zero-trust principles and updating security processes. As organizations looked to improve business operations and cut costs, cloud adoption also increased the attack surface.

Enhancing the cybersecurity analyst experience: Making the cybersecurity analyst's work as straightforward and efficient as possible is a primary justification for updating your security processes. Most SOC teams' heavy workloads add to the pressure of effectively managing cyber-risk. Attrition rates are notoriously high in the sector, but there are actions you can take to improve the analyst's daily experience. Automation, machine learning (ML), and similar tooling can simplify operations and alleviate repetitive efforts involved in qualifying threats. Automation and consolidation can help reduce false positives and provide higher-fidelity notifications, thus reducing analysts' fatigue.

SOC modernization is critical in today's cybersecurity environment. Five considerations for modernizing your SOC include:

Align your security strategy with business objectives: The overemphasis on technology in cybersecurity is a persistent problem. According to a study commissioned by LogRhythm, 85% of businesses face unintended security solution duplication, which increases maintenance costs.

Siloed teams with divergent objectives or conflicting priorities result from a lack of an organization-wide, top-down strategy and consistent communication. Today's CISO requires a certain level of business savvy to cultivate connections with stakeholders and explain risk to corporate boards. It's crucial to collaborate with key stakeholders to align security with business goals to create a strong program that is supported and funded.

Assess your current security maturity: Once you are aware of the business risk, evaluate your current security posture and identify any gaps. You can then develop a cybersecurity road map that addresses the business risks in a structured way, step by step. This road map can help you build a business case for any required investment, be that staff, process, or technology.

Work toward a zero-trust architecture: Never trust, always verify is the cornerstone of the zero-trust security model. A zero-trust strategy assumes that no network can be trusted, uses least privilege access, presumes that there has been a breach, and responds by utilizing continuous authorization and monitoring. Many organizations are choosing this architecture, and should you choose to adopt it, you will need a solid business plan that outlines the benefits and operational efficiency advantages of pivoting to a zero-trust architecture. You will also need a high degree of collaboration between leaders in security and IT.

Map to industry standards and detection frameworks: There are many frameworks and standards that can assist as you seek to modernize your SOC. One such framework is the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which is focused on tactics and techniques that have been seen "in the wild" and can help SOCs prioritize the techniques most commonly used in their industry or region. Other standards like NIST and ISO27001 can further help to fill any gaps in your overall security program.

Streamline incident response: To reduce risk and successfully remediate an incident before exploitation or data exfiltration, SOC analysts require solid processes and procedures and training in incident response. Playbooks for commonly seen incidents can also be a valuable help for more junior analysts, ensuring that all the necessary steps are followed to see an incident to a successful conclusion.

Aligning security outcomes with business goals gives insight into how the organization's operational priorities are impacted by the risk posture. Many security professionals struggle to explain or quantify how their security or compliance activities support the business and ultimately deliver value. SOC modernization can help simplify processes for reporting key performance indicators (KPIs) that relate to company goals and demonstrate alignment with the overall business strategy.

It's a cliché, but cybersecurity is a people, process, and technology challenge. Modernizing your SOC involves improving all three elements, and it is not just about investing in more technology. Building the right team with the appropriate skill sets and developing the right policies and processes are key parts of the journey — outside of acquiring any new technology. Security leaders should ensure they are aligned with the business priorities and do more than just "check the box" on their security program as they seek to address the ever-changing threat landscape and keep their organizations secure.

Seven IT Security Tips For A Remote Workforce

For many businesses around the world, remote work has become essential to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Whether you're familiar with working from home or your company is still adjusting, it's important that your information technology procedures don't slip through the cracks.

Without a remote worker policy and the proper tools deployed to mitigate risk, each remote employee can be a point of vulnerability to your IT security. As the president and CEO of an IT services company, I've outlined seven tools to help businesses and employees work successfully and securely from home:

1. Use a virtual private network.

A virtual private network (known as a VPN) creates a secure conduit for remote devices to privately access the business network. The VPN encrypts all communications and hides employees' IP addresses. This greatly reduces vulnerabilities and usually makes hackers look for easier prey.

Because a VPN works behind the scenes, it causes no disruption to productivity. Before, a remote worker would log directly into your network. Now they simply log into the VPN, and it securely logs them into the business simply, seamlessly and securely.

2. Don't make 'temporary' changes to your firewall.

Here's the scenario: Employees are working remotely, possibly for the first time and likely on their personal devices, and are complaining that they can't get into the network. To remedy this, someone decides to "temporarily" reduce the firewall settings. On the surface, it worked because the employees have gained access. Beneath the surface? You are now highly vulnerable to cybercriminals. Ensure your employees are clear that no temporary changes should be made to firewall settings to keep everyone protected.

3. Protect yourself from ransomware.

In my experience, companies tend to think of IT breaches as hackers stealing data. They often rationalize their security decisions with the notion that there is nothing valuable for a hacker to steal. That might be true, but ransomware is completely different.

Ransomware can encrypt and lock your data, and the hacker then often demands payment in exchange for giving your data back. This can greatly hinder productivity, so it's important to be cautious. To ensure you're protected, run malware software; update your operating system, browsers, and all software; back up your data so that it can't be taken hostage and train your employees to avoid phishing and other scams.

4. Beware of 'bring your own device.'

Bring your own device (or BYOD) is when employees use their personal devices for business. Do your employees maintain the latest malware prevention software on their own computers? Are the passwords on their personal devices as strong as those on their work devices? Have they installed any software to make it easier for them to use their own device while circumventing your security?

The answers to these questions: You don't know. The best thing you can have in place is a remote work policy that includes parameters around the use of personal devices, which brings us to our next point.

5. Write and enforce a remote work policy.

A remote work policy not only helps protect the business but also sets the proper expectations for the employees. Consider including the following in your policy:

• Only approved personal devices are allowed.

• No use of public devices, such as hotel kiosks, library computers, etc.

• No use of public WiFi.

• Only connect to the company's network through the VPN.

• Have password standards, such as not using the same passwords for personal and business accounts.

• Have approved anti-virus and anti-malware software installed on personal devices.

• Update your confidentiality agreement to include proper care procedures for remotely handling corporate information.

6. Consider using a password manager.

Today's digital world requires us to use more and more passwords. Over time, they can become next to impossible to remember. In order to keep track, many people do one of three poor practices:

• Keep them simple and memorable (e.g., their child's birthday, the name of their pet, etc.)

• Use the same password for everything

• Keep a Word document on their computer labeled "passwords" and log them all there.

It would be relatively easy for a hacker to obtain the passwords of someone who does any of these three things, which is why some turn to password managers. These managers generate unique and difficult passwords for all the different places you log in to, and you control them all with one master password.

7. Encourage employees to be cautious, suspicious and vigilant.

Employees successfully and securely working remotely is a large part of many businesses today. To ensure your team is protected, talk to your employees about ways they are less secure at home and what they can do to help. Ask them to question any strange-looking texts or emails. Remind them not to put unapproved USB sticks or peripherals into their computers. Reinforce the perils of sending personal or corporate information in an email. And most importantly, ask them all to be cautious, suspicious and vigilant.

As you can see, there are a few important IT security measures to consider if you're developing or managing a remote workforce. A number of managed service providers (my own included) can help you navigate these challenges if you lack the personnel or bandwidth. But by starting with these seven steps, you'll be on your way to ensuring everyone in your organization is protected.