Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing industries world-wide when it comes to job creation, and it’s held that title for several years running. Recent data from CyberSeek shows there were nearly 770,000 job openings that required cyber security skills listed from September 2021 to September 2022, a growth rate 2.4 times that of the overall economy, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that to increase by more than a third over the next decade. Cybersecurity recruiters have never been busier.
All of this job creation can be an opportunity for students entering the job market, or established professionals looking to change careers, to get into the technology and data security field. While the industry has a lot to offer, though, the career path won’t be an ideal fit for everyone. Knowing the typical skills and traits of security professionals, as well as the reasons they enjoy working in this industry, can help you decide if it’s the right career for you.
Typical Work Environment for Cybersecurity Professionals
The variety of organizations and roles in the industry is one reason many are drawn to it, and that also makes it tricky to say what a “typical day” in the industry looks like. Cybersecurity professionals may spend their day in a traditional office, working remotely from home, or going to clients and customers to offer security consulting or help them investigate and recover from an incident.
Some security professionals work a traditional 9-5 schedule. Others, especially those who respond to breaches and attacks, have to be on-call and ready whenever an incident occurs. Freelancing and self-employment are also common, further complicating the question of a typical day.
The schedule and work environment you can expect largely depend on which aspect of cybersecurity you get into. The majority of professionals in the field focus on defending systems, network, and data from malicious interlopers. Often, they’ll maintain or improve existing systems to ensure they’re functioning as they should, as well as monitoring for attacks and suspicious activity. Other roles are responsible for developing and implementing security systems, or testing those systems as a Penetration Tester or Ethical Hacker. On the post-attack side of the industry are roles like Forensics Analyst or Cybercrime Investigators, who take on the role of detectives charged with identifying the perpetrators of cybercrimes and the methods they used to attack so similar breaches can be prevented in the future.
Who Thrives in Cybersecurity Roles?
People who are naturally curious, inquisitive, and skeptical are well-suited to a career in cybersecurity. This goes along with having a growth mindset that drives you to always seek out new skills and information. If you love finding new ways to solve problems, you’ll enjoy your work as a security professional.
This is also an excellent career path for people who are passionate about the tech industry. Having passion for your work can help keep the potentially long hours and high-pressure situations from becoming overwhelming. Persistence is key, too. When you’re working with new technology and attack methods, you won’t always find the solution on the first try. The ability to learn from your mistakes, improve your methods, and get right back to the work is a strong indicator of long-term success in this sector.
Most In-Demand Skills in Cybersecurity
One major difference between cybersecurity and other jobs working with computers is that a tech background isn’t always required. While some jobs do require the ability to write code using JavaScript, Python, or other programming languages, others use skill sets similar to those of a detective or investigator.
Now, even the less tech-centric roles in cybersecurity will still require some technical skills. An in-depth understanding of networks and information systems is crucial. You’ll also need to be familiar with a range of operating systems, including Linux and Unix, as well as common online security measures like firewalls and anit-virus software. Data and information management and analysis are also key skills for most cybersecurity careers.
The most important soft skill for cybersecurity is communication, specifically the ability to explain technical terms and topics in a way non-tech people can understand. A sharp eye for detail and analytical mind are also required for roles across the industry, as are technical troubleshooting and creative problem solving skills.
Finally, professionals in this industry need to be adaptable and flexible, ready to adjust their approach to meet the changing needs of the technology and business. The ability to stay calm in stressful situations is also a definite plus, particularly for those who plan to work in incident response and recovery.
Benefits of a Career in Cybersecurity
1. Salaries are high, even at the entry-level.
It’s likely that the top 10% of professionals in any industry will earn a 6-figure salary, but in some fields you need to spend a while working in the industry to get there. The bottom 10% of information security workers in the United States still earn an average salary of $82,500 a year, while the median salary for a US cybersecurity professional is $115,000. The high demand for people with data and network security experience means this typical salary is only likely to rise, and gives even entry-level jobs very competitive compensation.
2. There are lots of opportunities for professional growth.
The baseline education requirements for security professionals are fairly easy to obtain. While a Bachelor’s degree in a field like computer science or data analytics can help job seekers stand out from other candidates, it’s often not a requirement. This is partially because ongoing learning is crucial to success in cybersecurity. Emerging technologies are just as prone to threats and attacks from hackers as established systems, and cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to infiltrate networks using ransomware, malware, and other nefarious software. Mitigating these risks means staying current on the latest research and best practices, making cybersecurity one of the best career paths for those who want to keep learning new things.
There are also plenty of cybersecurity certifications you can obtain if you have an interest to. Some of these are general certifications, like the in-demand Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification from ISC2. Others are focused on a specialty, like Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), letting you develop your expertise in a particular area of study. The variety of ongoing education courses, job responsibilities, and types of companies that need security professionals means there’s always more to learn and discover in this dynamic field.
3. It’s a flexible, location-independent industry.
Cybersecurity jobs offer flexibility in a variety of areas. Geographically, you’ll find organizations hiring these professionals in every US state, and most other countries, too. Private businesses aren’t the only employers, either. State and federal governments also have content and data at risk of attack, giving workers the chance to work in either the public or private sector.
There’s an equal amount of flexibility in the work environment and culture of a cybersecurity role. Both remote and in-office positions are common, first of all, and with so many places hiring it’s fairly easy to find a company that lets you work the way you want to. Security professionals often report a better work-life balance than other tech professionals, able to keep their workweek to 40 hours or less so they have time to enjoy their other interests.
4. The bright industry outlook means high job security.
One impact of the fast pace of growth in the cybersecurity job market is that job seekers have lots of options in the present, but it’s also good news for the future. As long as cybercrime exists, there will be a need for professionals who can counter it. This makes it an especially appealing career for young professionals, giving them the peace of mind that the skills they develop today will make them highly desirable to employers for years to come.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Working in Cybersecurity?
There are certainly a lot of pros to a career in cybersecurity, but no job is going to be perfect all the time. When the security system of an organization is working well, the security teams mostly spend their time monitoring and maintaining it, and that work can be repetitive and tedious. On the other hand, when there are problems, things can get stressful quickly. Hackers don’t only attack during normal business hours, either, which can mean putting in time outside your typical schedule when there’s an emergency.
The fast pace of change in cybersecurity presents its own challenges. Staying a step ahead of cyber criminals means always seeking out new protection tools and staying current on trends and hot topics as they develop, and that can be exhausting for a person who lacks an in-born desire to learn. Even if you’re putting in this work, the company you work for may not have the time, interest, or money to make use of your insights, and a lack of resources and knowledge from leadership is one of the most common frustrations reported by security team members.
Is Cybersecurity a Good Career for Me?
Now that you know more about what it takes to excel in the cybersecurity world, and what you can expect out of a career in this industry, it’s up to you to decide for yourself if this is the right career path. Compare your skills, interests, and personality to the typical traits of successful professionals, and read through the job descriptions of some roles you think might interest you to gauge whether you’d enjoy doing that on a day-to-day basis. With the variety and number of roles available in cybersecurity, there is room for a wide range of people in this exciting field.