Do you want to learn more about the life of a cybersecurity analyst? Maybe you are interested in becoming one yourself? If so, you can read more from an academic background, or look at the practical advice here in this article.
In this post, we are going to explore a day in the life of a cybersecurity analyst. We will look at the types of tasks and duties they complete and how they manage their workload.
1] Day to Day Routine
Working in any security career can be unpredictable and exciting. Some days you will be working on the technology systems, and others you could be dealing with a potential breach. Each day is different, and that is one of the enticing things about working as a cybersecurity analyst.
It’s the daily job of a cybersecurity analyst to monitor the companies data to find any possible breakthrough points or breaches. Daily, they produce their reports on their findings and share this with the company to decide on further action. They also communicate with the systems administrator, which also has input in any final decisions.
2] Attitude and Skillset
When working, it’s essential to think like a hacker. You must use advanced problem solving skills, and be able to detect anything in a report that looks fishy. Inconsistencies can be tiny to find. However, it’s a cybersecurity analyst’s job to ensure that they do not go unnoticed.
Alongside identifying any hackers, it’s also a cybersecurity analyst’s job to keep an eye out for any viruses or malware that could have made its way into the company’s technology systems. They will then need to provide advice on how to fix this. This is important as the confidentiality of staff and customers must be maintained.
Working as a cybersecurity analyst means that work can be fast-paced and complex. Some companies issue odd hours, and they may have to work a lot of overtime if there are any significant breaches within the system. This lifestyle can be stressful for a lot of people that can not handle complex situations.
3] Soft Skills
It’s also a cybersecurity analyst’s job to identify any human errors that are made. Humans are not perfect, so it is possible that mistakes can be made in the system by a college or team member.
It’s up to the analyst to determine this because the last thing you will want to do is presume that a hacker has breached the system when it may just be an honest mistake.
This can be tested by viewing session recordings of users actually operating on the website or system. One commercial piece of software which is commonly used for this purpose is HotJar. It allows full session recordings, or more simple and less invasive tracking such as scroll/click maps.
This will allow cybersecurity staff to analyse user behavior, which in turn could reveal bugs or vulnerabilities that you couldn’t find simply by analysing code and log files.
Having said that, any 3rd party software you rely on brings in its own vulnerabilities. So creating an in-house proprietary version of any software if you can is a good idea.
4] Rates of Pay For Cybersecurity Experts
The cybersecurity industry (or cyber sec for short) is very well known for having a rewarding salary. Depending on the seniority of the role the pay can range from around $55,000 per year to $120,000 per year.
Therefore if you are recently graduated from college with a degree in computer science or similar you’ll likely be nearer the lower end of the payscale. Usually after a couple of years you will see a large jump in salary. However, reaching the top pay usually requires a significant promotion rather than just progressing with time on the job.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Working as a cybersecurity analyst can be a problematic, exhausting and stressful job. However, for the right individuals, it can be exhilarating and highly rewarding. It’s a job that may be slow at first, but within a second, you may be investigating breaches and working with your team to help take down any hackers.
Just remember to always do your research so that you can find the right job for you.
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