How to Get Started in Cybersecurity: Building Useful Skills

By Dr. Andre Slonopas  |  12/03/2024

With their increasing sophistication and frequency, cyber threats have raised the demand for cybersecurity professionals to an all-time high. Every industry now faces critical security risks from cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity protects databases, servers, and other components of computer networks upon which businesses, governments, and individuals rely on daily. By studying cybersecurity, you can learn the basics of network security and have lots of hands-on experience with security tools. You will also need to gain special expertise within different sectors of cybersecurity, such as information security and cloud security.

Understanding the Cybersecurity Job Market

The growth of opportunities in the cybersecurity profession is evidence that multiple industries understand the importance of cybersecurity and are taking action to protect themselves from attackers. There are potential job opportunities in many industries and at many levels, ranging from entry-level to more advanced roles, to interested professionals who seek to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs

Entry-level cybersecurity jobs include security analyst, cybersecurity engineer, or network administrator. These roles require experienced professionals with a knowledge of cybersecurity fundamentals and practical skills in network security, operating systems, and risk management. Security analysts and cybersecurity engineers are popular entry-level positions, especially in industries that involve high incident response and application security.

Advanced-Level Cybersecurity Opportunities

As you progress and develop your expertise, specialized pathways in cybersecurity may become attractive, such as penetration testing. A penetration tester is a specialist focused on identifying security vulnerabilities by proactively testing defenses.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH®) is another option to explore if you are interested in computer science and want to look for a career in cybersecurity. This type of professional hacker has a deep understanding of ethical hacking and helps organizations to safeguard computer systems in unpredictable and uncommon ways.

An information security officer (ISO) is another potential career option. An ISO designs an information security program for a business and is responsible for protecting an organization’s information assets from harm.

What Essential Skills Do Cybersecurity Professionals Need?

Cybersecurity pros need to master both technical and soft skills in order to pursue a career path in cybersecurity. These technical skills include a knowledge of areas such as basic networking principles, internet protocol (IPs) addresses, ports, firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), cloud security, and network security. They enable a cybersecurity expert to be aware of potential vulnerabilities and how to better prevent security breaches in different computer systems.

Soft skills such as communication, analytical thinking and problem-solving are equally useful, especially in high-pressure situations. For instance, if an organization’s entire network is hacked and individual computers become unusable, information technology professionals will need to resolve such a problem quickly and keep users up to date about software patches and when problems will be resolved.

Similarly, cyber pros need to help other users to understand security risks. They need to use their cybersecurity skills to teach security awareness to other employees and managers in order to prevent accidental breaches.

Technical Skills

A familiarity with different operating systems – especially Windows®, Linux®, and Unix® – is essential. Each of these systems has its own security structure with specific weaknesses.

Knowing different programming and scripting languages and tools – such as Python®, Bourne Again Shell (Bash) on Windows, and PowerShell® – is equally useful. These languages and tools enable cybersecurity professionals to automate tasks, locate breaches, or perform penetration tests.

Soft Skills

Cybersecurity professionals intending to pursue a cybersecurity career should also take the time to acquire soft skills, such as:

• Analytical thinking
• Communication
• Problem-solving abilities

Analytical thinking helps an organization's cyber employees to find security threats, and strong communication skills allows them to explain complex risks and solutions to a wide variety of stakeholders. Problem-solving abilities are important for the real-time resolution of problems and the creation of risk management strategies.

Cybersecurity Certifications

Cybersecurity certifications are highly useful in this industry. For a cybersecurity professional, these certifications not only provide specialized knowledge, but they also add to professional credibility.

There are a wide variety of certifications available, including:

• CompTIA Security+® – This certification is a great starting point for entry-level professionals who want to pursue a career in cybersecurity. It covers all basic concepts related to cybersecurity, such as network security, risk management, threat assessment, and entry-level management of secure systems.
• Certified Ethical Hacker – The CEH certification helps professionals to learn how to use ethical hacking techniques to identify and fix system vulnerabilities. It’s particularly useful for learning offensive security.
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) – This renowned certification is useful for professionals seeking more advanced roles. It enables cyber pros to acquire a broad array of cybersecurity competencies, including security engineering and incident response.
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM®) – This certification could be useful if you want to pursue roles with greater responsibilities or technical skill. It covers areas such as information risk management, information security governance, incident management, and security program development and management.

Other Cybersecurity Areas to Learn

Important aspects of cybersecurity to learn if you want to pursue a cybersecurity career include malware, phishing, encryption, and threat analysis. In our world where malware and phishing attacks are prevalent, cybersecurity experts must learn to identify these threats and prevent them. Encryption and threat analysis keep data secure and trace potential risks in systems.

Developing a deep familiarity with network security could be equally helpful. Network security encompasses the protocols that protect information systems and computer networks from cyber threats.

Practical experience in network security can be obtained through various industry tools, such as Wireshark®, Nmap®, and Metasploit®. These tools are widely employed by system administrators and hackers in the field for various purposes, such as traffic analysis, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing.

Cyber Law and Ethics

Cyber professionals should also have a wide knowledge of cyber law and ethics. Most cybersecurity jobs involve sensitive data, so there is a strong need for guidelines on ethical standards that should be followed to ensure that sensitive data is handled responsibly.

How to Gain Practical Experience in Cybersecurity

Working to gain hands-on experience, in addition to formal education such as a bachelor's degree or a master's degree, can play a large part in pursuing a career in the cybersecurity field. There are different ways to gain experience and improve your cybersecurity knowledge, such as virtual labs, internships, and capture-the-flag competitions.

Virtual Labs

Many virtual labs and simulators are priceless for getting hands-on, practical experience in safe, controlled environments. Platforms like TryHackMe®, Hack the Box®, and IBM's cyber ranges provide real-world scenarios that let users practice identifying security vulnerabilities, solving incident response challenges, and exploring offensive security techniques.

Internships

Internships provide exposure to real-world, hands-on training, as well as the opportunity to build a professional network with managers and coworkers. These internships can be found through websites like LinkedIn® and Glassdoor®. These websites are equally useful for finding a cybersecurity role, such as entry-level or more advanced job opportunities.

Capture the Flag Competitions

Another useful technique for developing cybersecurity skills and improving your understanding of the technical areas of cybersecurity involves Capture the Flag competitions (CTF). CTF competitions pit players against each other through a series of challenging cybersecurity puzzles that test critical thinking, technical proficiency, and effective problem-solving skills.

Such events provide exceptional practical experience, especially in offensive security and penetration testing. CTFtime is a great place to look for these competitions and there are many competitions to choose from, such as web application security, network security, and cryptography.

Cybersecurity Degrees at American Military University

Continuous learning is vital, especially in the cybersecurity field where new and damaging threats appear constantly. American Military University (AMU) offers a range of degrees tailored to prepare cybersecurity students for the fast-paced world of cyber defense. These degrees include:

• An online associate degree in cybersecurity
• An online bachelor's degree in cybersecurity
• An online master's degree in cybersecurity studies

These degree programs cover a range of topics such as cyber warfare, digital forensics, biometrics, and cyber law. Other topics include advanced productivity applications and securing databases, as well as law, privacy, and digital data.

In addition, the University is recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency (NSA). This recognition ensures that the University’s cybersecurity programs have met rigorous quality standards.

For more information about AMU’s cybersecurity programs, visit our information technology program page.