Who is a Cyber Security Expert? How to Become One?

Nowadays, it is no longer necessary to possess as much technical knowledge and skills as before to commit cyber crimes. Moreover, the increasing dependence on information technologies has not only increased the risk of individuals becoming victims of crime but has also brought cyberspace to a significant position. Therefore, cyber security has become one of the most debated topics in recent years.

As a result, this situation has increased the demand for cyber security engineers. 🔐 What is this field full of potential, what is needed to become a cyber security specialist, and which languages need to be known for cyber security—all in this article! Happy reading!

Who Is a Cyber Security Specialist?

A cyber security specialist is an information security expert who performs information security functions such as designing, developing, and implementing secure network solutions against hackers and cyber attacks. Furthermore, they continuously test and monitor these systems, ensuring that all system defenses are up to date and functioning correctly.

These cyber security solutions help companies secure their networks against cyber attacks and hackers. They apply information security concepts to design and implement various protective security measures.

Additionally, a cyber security engineer can work with other departments in the company to ensure network security. This allows them to take action more quickly. 

What Is Cyber Security?

Simply put, cyber security is a field that protects your experience on the internet, your systems, and your online accounts from malicious attacks. 

If you are searching for answers to the question of how to become a cyber security engineer, you must first understand cyber security well. 

What Does a Cyber Security Engineer Do? 

The roles and responsibilities of a cyber security engineer may vary depending on the organization they are part of. However, some common roles and responsibilities include:

       ✅ Evaluating the company's cyber security needs and determining the best practices accordingly

       ✅ Designing, implementing, maintaining, and monitoring all security measures required to protect the company's data, systems, and networks 

       ✅ Detecting all security breaches in the systems 

       ✅ Resolving all network and security issues

       ✅ Performing penetration testing

       ✅ Conducting tests and scans to detect any vulnerabilities in the network and system

Now that we know what a cyber security engineer does, let's talk about the qualifications that employers look for in a cyber security engineer. 

What Should a Cyber Security Specialist Know? 

Among the most frequently searched questions by those who want to enter this field is “What is necessary to become a cyber security specialist?” As with every role, certain qualifications are required to become a cyber security engineer. In other words, cyber security professionals should possess a set of soft and hard skills. Here are some of the primary skills required for this role:

1. Fundamental Skills

The fundamental skills of cyber security engineers are knowledge of programming. Cyber security engineers should know several programming languages such as Java, Python, C++, and Node.js. Knowing at least a few of these programming languages provides an advantage in interviews.

2. Technical Skills

• Security techniques, firewalls, VPN, DNS, and other security systems 
• Security assessments and policies
• Cloud security
• Security auditing
• Ethical hacking and penetration testing 
• Binary analysis and cryptography
• Browser security and how websites work 
• Identity verification to detect authenticity

3. Soft Skills

• Problem-solving: Cyber security specialists evaluate and solve various cyber security issues, from ransomware attacks to general software vulnerabilities. They use problem-solving skills to effectively address these issues and implement solutions that prevent them from recurring. 
• Teamwork: Cyber security specialists often work closely with other cyber security experts and technical teams, especially when engaged in more complex projects. Communicating with others allows them to address problems more effectively and develop better solutions. 
• Creative thinking: Creative thinking is the ability to approach a problem from a different perspective. Creative thinking can help cyber security engineers gain new insights and think more critically about cyber security issues. 

How Long Does It Take to Become a Cyber Security Specialist?

The time it takes to become a cyber security engineer may depend on your education, experience, and certifications. Most people can enter an entry-level cyber security engineer position within two to four years if they have the necessary experience. For someone who has already worked in the IT field and has sufficient experience, this period may be shorter. 

Which Department Should You Study to Become a Cyber Security Engineer?

To become a cyber security engineer, you need to have a bachelor's degree in a field such as computer engineering, software engineering, or cyber security engineering. In other words, you need to undergo 4 years of education to become a cyber security engineer. 

If you have already graduated in these fields, you may consider continuing your education by obtaining a master's degree in a field closely related to cyber security. 

How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer?

If you're curious about the ways to become a cyber security engineer, you can follow the steps below. 

1. Learn the Basics

The first step to becoming a cyber security engineer is to learn the basics of the field. This includes understanding fundamental computer science concepts, networks, operating systems, and programming languages.

To comprehensively understand cyber security, you should learn various security concepts such as threat modeling, risk assessment, cryptography, and security frameworks. 

Some technical skills that cyber security engineers should know are:

• Having knowledge of programming languages like Python, Java, and C++
• Understanding network protocols and identifying network vulnerabilities
• Understanding operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS and their security features
• Gaining experience with cloud-based services like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for cloud security
• Being able to perform penetration testing to detect vulnerabilities
• Gaining knowledge of encryption algorithms and cryptographic protocols to secure data and communications
• Gaining experience with threat intelligence tools and techniques
• Gaining expertise in identity and access management technologies

2. Learn Cyber Security Tools

As a cyber security engineer, you need to master certain tools to detect, analyze, and remediate cyber threats.

One of the fundamental tools used by cyber security engineers is the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system, which collects and aggregates security data from various sources.

Other essential tools include network scanners (e.g., Nmap), vulnerability scanners (e.g., Nessus), and penetration testing frameworks (e.g., Metasploit).

3. Gain Practical Experience

Employers now value candidates who not only have a bachelor's degree but also practical experience. Such experience is gained through internships, hackathons, and cyber security bootcamps. 

This step is quite important because theoretical knowledge gained in cyber security is applied to real-world scenarios at this stage. 

You can try the following ways to gain practical experience in the field of cyber security:

1. 📭 Open Source Projects: Open source projects are software projects that anyone can modify. These projects are built and maintained by a developer community collaborating to improve the software. Working on open source projects is an excellent way for cyber security engineers to gain practical experience and valuable skills.
2. 👩‍💻 Hackathons: Hackathons are great programs where cyber security engineers work to solve real cyber security problems. During hackathons, participants often work on projects involving identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities, implementing security measures, and defending against cyber attacks.
3. 💼 Volunteer Work: Volunteer work is a good option for cyber security engineers to gain practical experience and develop their skills, especially those at the beginning of their careers.

4. Join Cyber Security Communities

Online communities provide opportunities for cyber security professionals to exchange information, ask questions, and receive feedback from others in the industry. Globally, you can follow the OWASP Slack channel and the Laptop Hacking Coffee Discord channel. By following the Coderspace Discord channel, you can also reach cyber security experts.

5. Participate in Relevant Certification Programs

Cyber security certifications are an important part of becoming a successful cyber security engineer. They help you stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies while enhancing your skills and knowledge. Professional certifications for cyber security engineers include the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and CompTIA Security+ certifications.

6. Prepare for Interviews

Preparing for a cyber security engineer interview by researching the company, understanding the job requirements, and practicing common cyber security interview questions provides great benefits before the interview.

The Future of Cyber Security Engineering

Cyber crimes cost the world economy trillions of dollars every year. Considering these high risks, companies are seeking cyber security experts to protect their data and keep their networks secure.

Candidates who want to choose this field may be wondering if cyber security specialists can easily find jobs. If we need to answer this in a single sentence, the demand for cyber security engineers is quite high! Moreover, it is expected to continue growing at the same pace.

Since cyber security engineers can perform various IT security roles, they find jobs in various environments. Many cyber security engineers work in banks, large retail companies, government agencies, and the non-profit sector.

In short, the field of cyber security can be a good choice for your career. If you want to specialize in cyber security but can't decide what to do, you can check out our cyber security bootcamps and meet-ups, and ask your questions to expert cyber security professionals.