Do you think your business is safe from risks? Think again! You risk massive exposure if you haven’t secured your business from cybersecurity breach threats. To ensure that your business is safe from cybersecurity threats, you need to hire a cybersecurity specialist. It is not easy to find suitable candidates or possibly any candidate to fill open cybersecurity positions. Companies aren’t able to find an experienced cybersecurity professional because there aren’t many professionals who have mastered the technical abilities and soft skills. Experts in this field are already hired for the long term with hefty salary and benefits. If you want to have a career in cybersecurity, and there is no reason you shouldn’t- it is advisable to have cybersecurity training certification along with some qualities that we discuss below.
Learning of the Blog
- Introduction to Cybersecurity
- Desirable traits
- Conclusion
In this blog, we look at the traits top names in the industry look for in a Certified Cybersecurity professional.
Introduction to Cybersecurity
In today’s digital world, where cyber attackers are coming up with newer and smarter ways to access your network and systems, an intelligent password is not enough. The importance of cybersecurity has been realized by individuals, startups, and large corporations. Cybersecurity is technically the act of preventing networks, media devices, computers, data, and electronic systems from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks take place with the move to accessing data or information for personal benefits such as money extortion or distortion of already set up business processes. Cybersecurity has the following categories:
- Operational Security– It focuses on data protection – how data will be shared and who can access it.
- Network Security– It focuses on network protection from threats.
- User Education– This category focuses on educating users about basic cybersecurity training and the best ways to ensure cybersecurity. That way, the person doesn’t accidentally download a corrupt file or introduce a virus in a system.
- Application Security– It focuses on preventing software devices and applications. The application is designed to complement data security.
- Disaster Recovery– When a hacker hits an organization, disaster recovery helps in minimizing the damage and restoring normal operations as soon as possible.
The threat isn’t going to go away. The more hackable devices are there; the more will be the attack platforms. Whether the industry is big or small, having the right talent is enormous.
Desirable Traits
With the significant rise in technology in the last decade, a particular relevance of cybersecurity and the growing cyber-skills gap is noted. Nearly 70% of organizations require cyber-security applicants to have a cybersecurity certification but to fill in this gap, we recommend to choose candidates with the following traits:
An Explorer- Investigative and Curious
Cybersecurity is a continuously and rapidly evolving landscape. So the first quality is natural curiosity as it leads to continual learning. The workforce needs people who can invent solutions to the future and keep us safe today. Job seekers should be intellectual and willing to learn and demonstrate a willingness to think outside of the box, which should also be reflected in their past work. Thus, curiosity is an essential trait as monotonous ways get outdated quickly.
A cybersecurity professional needs to be a continuous learner to seek out new weaknesses before they become weaknesses. Proactive learning and updating the system is the only way to stay ahead. It is a must to have an increased emphasis and investment in training and professional development. For raising cyber capabilities across industries, it is essential to hire people and give them a chance to develop this experience. A job rotation with a realizing sense of cyber professionals’ market value helps round out skills and maximize productivity. This provides employees with incentives to stay for more extended periods and organizations to meet cyber-security challenges head-on.
A Problem Solver- Methodical and Analytical
A good cybersecurity professional should be curious, analytical, and an excellent communicator. If a candidate has these qualities, then technical skills can be well taught. A change in the mindset of the job givers would let an abundance of IT talent to break into the sector. By only looking for experience and certifications, we are substantially restricting the pool of potential candidates. This is an impractical and damaging approach. Black hat thinking, i.e., thinking like a hacker, is a commonly shared trait of cybersecurity experts. This approach would allow the analyst to recognize the weak spots in your digital assets and anticipate security threats before they happen
A Consultant- Communicative and Flexible
Excellent communication is a critical soft skill in the cybersecurity field. It is unlikely to have all employees with the same IT experience; some might not even have a technical background. Thus, it is necessary that your cybersecurity specialist can articulate things in easy to follow instructions to help your employees secure accounts after a breach. Cybersecurity specialists should be able to articulate complex written and verbal concepts as well as should be able to communicate with and understand management and customers effectively. Most importantly, these soft skills allow identification with social engineering, which is a pervasive issue within the security community.
A Guardian- Reliable, and Ethical
When picking up a cybersecurity specialist, ensure the ability to perform under pressure. This will make the company feel secure even when a threat approaches. Being relaxed and calm can make all the difference when dealing with a potential breach. Thus, the ability to work fast under pressure and make real-time decisions with reliable accuracy drives change.
Persistent
As much as cybersecurity specialists need to think out of the box, it is to be able to work outside their comfort zone and not hit the wall when faced with a threat that they’re unable to solve. Thus, persistence is the key. A certain level of persistence requires a certain level of confidence and no second-guessing as the industry needs professionals to deal with CEOs to end level uses.
Conclusion
We have tried to list all possible qualities required for a successful career in Cybersecurity. This would be helpful to both job givers and job seekers. If you want to become a cybersecurity analyst, you know what the market demands now!