What are the skills of a cybersecurity analyst?
Cybersecurity analysts use technical skills and workplace skills to assess risks and respond to security incidents. You may have some of the technical skills already, if you are from an information technology (IT) background. Many of the workplace skills can be translated from other job titles.
Top 10 skills of Cybersecurity technical
1. Scripting
Scripting is programming where you get a program to do something. The only variation is that coding is fixed, but scripts can re-arrange text and images. Having the ability to construct tools and automate repetitive tasks using programming languages such as Python or PowerShell grants you the power to be a better analyst. Python is one of the most popular cybersecurity languages and also one of the simplest to learn.
2. Controls and frameworks
A cybersecurity framework provides a collection of best practices, policies, tools, and security controls to help secure an organisation’s data and business processes. A control is something your business uses to protect itself from vulnerability and attack.
The provided framework you will use will depend on your organisation and sector. You can get some useful background information on some of the cybersecurity frameworks below:
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Data Security Council of India (DSCI)
National Cyber Security and Safety Standards (NCSSS)
3. Intrusion detection
Your daily life as a security analyst will be spent monitoring network activity looking for possible intrusions. Knowing how to work with intrusion detection tools—security information and event management (SIEM) tools, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS)—gives you the capability to locate suspicious activity or security breaches promptly.
4. Network security control
Most cyber-attacks happen across a network of devices that connect together. Those same technologies which make businesses communicate and collaborate could be a source of security hazard. In order to keep the security of an organisation, you will have to understand wired networks and wireless and know how to secure them.
5. Operating systems
Threats exist on desktop and mobile computers on every operating system. Position yourself to succeed as a security analyst by being well-versed in MacOS, Windows, Linux, and command-line interfaces. Understanding the threats and vulnerabilities that are inherent in cell phone operating systems, like iOS and Android, is helpful.
6. Incident response
Although prevention is the ultimate objective of cybersecurity, acting quickly when security violations happen is also necessary in order to prevent and lessen loss and damage. Incident management is easy when you know your organisation’s incident response plan and are skilled in digital forensics and malware analysis.
7. Cloud
With more and more businesses shifting to cloud environments, cloud professionals are in demand. There has been a massive demand in India for cloud security professionals since demand continues to surpass supply, as noted by a NASSCOM report. Specialists are of the opinion that demand for cloud security skills would grow by 115 per cent by 2026, which would be the most lucrative skill in demand [1].
8. DevOps
Security threats are generally found in the applications. Increasing numbers of organisations are adding a security component to their software development and operations (DevOps) process to ensure applications are secure by design.
9. Threat intelligence
You can be an improved cyber security analyst if you remain sensitive to the threat landscape. Begin with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10, which is a listing of the top-10 web application security risks.
10. Regulatory guidelines
Cybersecurity must protect organisations from attack, theft, and loss and must be compliant with industry legislation. Start with a read of The Information Technology Act, 2000. Cybersecurity professionals working in the health care industry will need to become compliant with the Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act (DISHA) if it is enacted. If you work for a multinational organisation, an understanding of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) would be beneficial.
Top 5 skills of Cybersecurity workplace for IT professionals
1. Communication
Both written and verbal communications are very important in cybersecurity. As an analyst, you can be required to explain technical details to people with no technical experience, like executives or lawyers. You can also be writing incident reports, in which case you will have to report what you did in a clear and concise manner.
2. Collaboration
As a cybersecurity analyst, you likely will be part of a larger security team of other cybersecurity professionals. You might also be asked to collaborate with other departments within your company (legal, IT, PR) or other organizations or the broader cybersecurity community.
3. Risk management
Your capacity to prepare for what can go wrong, evaluate the threat of harm, and estimate the damage that can be caused enables you to concentrate your efforts on the areas where you will be most effective.
4. Flexibility
Attacks by cybercriminals are always evolving and improving. As technology develops, new vulnerabilities are created. You can stay ahead of or keep up with these changes by adopting the mindset of a lifelong learner.
5. Thinking critically
Working in cybersecurity occasionally requires you to make important choices regarding the security of your company. Gaining proficiency in critical thinking can assist you in:
- Make the appropriate inquiries
- Analyze and evaluate the information
- Determine your presumptions.
- Think about other options.
- Recognize the context
- Make conclusions based on data.
How to improve your cybersecurity skills
You can develop your cybersecurity skills in a variety of ways. Whilst you likely already possess some of the skills listed above, developing those you’re less familiar with could make you a more competitive candidate when applying for jobs.
Here are some options for building cybersecurity skills:
Attend classes.
Enrolling in a course gives your learning structure, regardless of whether you’re learning the basics of cybersecurity or more complex techniques. You may be able to practice workplace skills like technical writing and teamwork in many courses that focus on particular technical abilities, such as network security or incident response.
Keep abreast of the most recent developments.
You can gain confidence as a security analyst and gain an edge in your job search by keeping your technical cybersecurity skills current with the latest threats and technological developments. The following resources will help you get started:
- Cyber Security Podcast: PwC UK’s podcast discusses current concerns that cyber risk and threat intelligence professionals face in each episode.
- SANS StormCast: Get five to ten minute episodes every day that discuss the newest security threats by subscribing to this podcast.
- Reddit: Sign up for a cybersecurity subreddit, such as r/hacking, r/cybersecurity, or r/netsec.
- Current cybersecurity threats are shared by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Center.
