Cybersecurity Roles - Top Roles and Skills to Consider in 2024

Introduction

Cybersecurity Roles – Types of Job Roles, Salary, and Certification

The future of cybersecurity is way vast and fruitful, now that the world swirls on digital dependency. Expected and unwanted rise of digital security risks with your business, it will become even more evident to have cybersecurity professionals and digital security practices by your side.

Many job roles come in the field of cybersecurity career paths, it becomes even tougher each year to hire cybersecurity expertise with uncountable job vacancies globally.

With the powerful impact of AI and cyber threats rising, corporations and organizations have leveled up standards for professionals who know the effective ways to tackle digital security risks. 

Which cybersecurity role would fit you the best? Find out below the eight most sought-after cybersecurity job roles in a wealth of career opportunities.

6 Best Cybersecurity Roles in 2024

Here is the list of the popular 7 top roles within cybersecurity that is ideal in 2024:

1) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is the highest attainable role. They must manage the cybersecurity needs to secure the data and systems of an organization with the team, technologies, executives, IT staff, stakeholders, and initiatives.

Typically, they have wide knowledge and aspects of cybersecurity and are decisive in making policies, and protocols, hiring solid security staff, and tactics to safeguard businesses from current and future cyberattacks.

The CISO plays as an internal and external security expert, and trusted business advisor embeds security information, and follows the three C’s of cyber, compliance, disaster recovery and business continuity, documentation, and others.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, with at least 7-12 years of job experience to apply for CISO roles.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a Chief Information Security Officer is $1,88,143 per year.

2) Network Security Manager

A Network Security Manager is a mid-level to senior-level position, which services technical leadership and manages overall security architecture with security plans, evaluates and test vendor tools checks compliance, and carries out the activities to manage the security of a computer network. They are responsible for defending the company’s data and networks against security threats or other cyberattacks. 

This role must be ready to react to possible data breaches, protect IT infrastructure, seek security strategies, build strong security concepts related to routing, evaluate and monitor communication networks, control software updates, cope with user access, and others.

Required Qualifications

An undergraduate degree in computer science or a related field. A cybersecurity certification (CISSP, ITIL, CISM, CEH, IAM, V3, CSNM, SSL, CCNP, PMP) with at least years of 5-10 years of cybersecurity experience.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a Network Security Manager is $1,05,643 per year.

3) Data Security Analyst

As a data security analyst, you will be involved in ensuring that a company’s data and databases are breach-free and assured. They work hand in hand with the team and with the Network Security Manager to find data security solutions.

Further, they research and assess past threats and mitigations, and security incidents, observe access control systems, control user authentication processes, implement policies and procedures, and apply ethical practices for manipulating data and managing sensitive information.

It also involves penetration and vulnerability testing, recommending a product, recommending changes in process and tool, identifying and correcting various anomalies and flaws in systems, programs, networks, applications, and designing encryption solutions, and more to combat the security threats in an organization.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a technology-related field along with related job experience.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a data security analyst is $74,525 per year.

4) Penetration Tester and Ethical Hacker

A crucial role of midlevel to senior-level positions where the tasks should be conducted by expert professionals. Penetration Tester (or Ethical Hacker) provides inputs to in-depth knowledge of network security, and vendors assess physical security, and security assessment reports and reach out to clients to talk through the current security system. They are responsible for conducting and taking trials to break into a company’s system, run security audits, and tests on apps and networks, identify key vulnerabilities, and analyze security policies to check their level of cyber defense.

Pen testers must keep up with the current and trending changing technologies, and run research on the company network, structure, system, and penetration sites.

Required Qualifications

An undergraduate degree in computer science, systems engineering, networking, or a related field, and additional certification with at least 2-4 years of job experience in information security.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a Penetration Tester is $1,02,999 per year.

5) Cybersecurity Engineer or Architect

Cybersecurity Engineer (or Cybersecurity Architect) is a holistic job in information security at present. As a Cybersecurity Engineer, you will need to design, execute, manage, maintain, observe, and improve the security measures to safeguard data, systems, and networks of an organization's cybersecurity procedure.

The job demands carrying out research and evaluating new cyber invasions and attacks, having good knowledge and practice in IT security and infrastructure, cybersecurity, configuring firewalls, computer engineering, data forensics, security testing, and auditing, detection of intrusion.

Their goal is to drive business solutions with the possible effective security tools and govern approachable responses that meet the company's needs with regulatory prerequisites like GDPR.

Required Qualifications

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in computer science, IT, systems engineering, or a similar field, with at least 2 years of job experience in cybersecurity-related duties. It is recommended to have a certification in CISSP, CISM, and CISA to back up your resume and skills.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a Cybersecurity Engineer is $1,08,915 per year.

Recommended reads: List of Best Cybersecurity Certifications

Cybersecurity professionals have closely similar skill sets to the other roles, but the responsibilities vary from a cybersecurity analyst to a network engineer.

6) Network Engineer

A Network Engineer (or Network Administrator) designs, builds, optimizes, and maintains the network infrastructure. They try to implement network solutions, troubleshoot issues, configure security systems, and be well-versed in network protocols, structure networks for company needs, troubleshoot, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Given that, their duties involve formulating security processes and protocols, identifying and maintaining security approaches like VPNs, firewalls, and threat prevention software, backups of data, expanding and applying new security mechanisms, and evaluating vulnerabilities in the IT landscape.

Required Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in information technology with a networking engineering or related field, with at least a few years of job experience. Candidates can obtain necessary certifications of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ for career advancement.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for a network engineer is $90,731 per year.

Bottom Line

The cybersecurity roles handle complicated, responsive, and detail-sensitive data for personal use or professional business. As the world keeps competing and advancing from day to day, individuals and companies fall victim to malicious cybercrimes, data breaches, identity theft, and so on. 

There will be a need for expanding cybersecurity roles each time-sensitive data is generated. Usually, these cybersecurity professionals drive a critical role in securing business in almost every company or for digital security. 

You can also find the best career with more cybersecurity courses in detail. Enroll in the Sprintzeals certification program to begin developing skills that align with your career and get certified. For any course-related query, chat with our course expert or connect with us at Click Here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the roles in cyber security?

The role of cybersecurity demands technical ability, identifying risks and vulnerabilities, user account administration, maintaining systems, monitoring firewalls, routers, switches, infrastructure, edge devices, networks, data, network monitoring tools, and more.

What are the 8 personality traits to succeed in cybersecurity?

A cybersecurity professional must have the personality traits of,

Altruistic

Approachable

Collected

Cynical

Diligent

Inquisitive

Modest

Passionate

Scientific

What are the 7 types of cyber security?

The seven different cyber security types are as:

- Application Security

- Cloud Security

- Endpoint Security

- Mobile Security

- Network Security. 

- IoT Security

- Zero Trust

What are 10 good cybersecurity practices?

Below are the common 10 cybersecurity practices that take into the picture;

Up-to-date software and hardware

Enable 2-factor authentication

Check suspicious links and emails before visiting

Utilize HTTPs on your website

Check for HTTPS on websites

Strong passwords

Refrain from public networks

Use a VPN

Hire with a "white hat" hacker

Invest in security upgrades