Recently, there has been an increasing demand for workers in the field of cybersecurity, also known as (information security) or (computer security), which is a field concerned with protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, often when confidential information is accessed or damage to the system.
The reason behind the increasing demand for workers in this field is the need for companies to protect their data from the threat of cyber-attacks, which has increased recently. This underscores the need for increased protection to avoid losses that companies may suffer from a cyberattack that results in a breach of their private data. The first step in enhancing your organization's information security is to hire qualified cyber security personnel.
If you are planning to enter the field of cyber security, you must have some basic skills that will help you succeed in this field, which we will explain in this article.
What skills are required to work in the field of cyber security?
Since the goal of companies hiring cybersecurity personnel is to protect their networks and digital assets, they will only hire competent employees who can meet their needs. A career in cybersecurity requires two primary skills: soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills are the personal qualities and traits that enhance your ability to perform tasks, while hard skills are the expertise you need to perform tasks.
First, personal skills:
To become a cyber security professional, you need the following soft skills:
1- Effective communication skills:
When you become a cyber security worker, you will interact with many other people. The message you send to them and how they interpret it affects your overall performance. This is why you must be able to communicate effectively, especially when it comes to complex issues. Your inability to communicate effectively with others in your field can lead to potentially costly misunderstandings and mistakes.
2- Critical thinking skills:
There are many complex problems in the daily work of cyber security professionals. Therefore, you must be able to effectively solve these problems through thorough analysis and brainstorming.
In order to provide effective solutions to cyber security issues, you need to understand the root causes of these issues and address them from the roots to prevent their recurrence in the future.
3- Attention to detail:
Human error is responsible for many cyber attacks. This is because hacking occurs due to vulnerabilities in the execution of tasks. Therefore, you must be vigilant and pay attention to the smallest details to prevent hackers from finding vulnerabilities that they can exploit in digital attacks.
4- The mindset of empathy and understanding:
Victims of cyberattacks feel fear before and after a digital attack. If you work in cybersecurity, you need to put yourself in their shoes and help them manage their emotions. When you have empathy, you will better understand how the attack affects you and find effective ways to reduce the impact.
On the other hand, it is necessary to understand the methods and mentality of the perpetrators of digital attacks in order to find the best way to deal with them and overcome them.
5- Cooperation:
Most companies employ more than one person on a cyber security team. The field is really vast and requires the input of many people. As such, you must be able to collaborate with others, recognize the contributions of your teammates, and work as a team towards a common goal.
second; Technical ability:
In addition to the previously mentioned soft skills, you will need the following hard skills; Being an expert in cyber security.
1- Network and System Management:
The job of a cyber security specialist is not possible without sufficient knowledge of network and system administration. Therefore, it is imperative that you understand how networks and systems are configured to protect the data network of the company you work for from digital attacks and theft.
2- Programming:
Hackers have high programming skills. Your programming skills must be at the highest level if you want to prevent them from attacking. On the other hand, automation plays an important role in programming, so you should be able to automate repetitive tasks using the following programming language: Python.
3- Digital examination:
Digital forensics is defined as the field of preservation, identification, extraction and recording of digital evidence for forensic purposes. It is the science of finding evidence from digital media such as computers, mobile phones, servers or the Internet and provides digital forensics teams with the best techniques and tools to solve complex digital cases.
This field allows you to mitigate the effects of digital attacks by recovering damaged or lost data. In addition to identifying the source of the attack, determine how the digital attack was carried out, and then use any information you have about the attack to develop a defense strategy to prevent it from happening again.
4- Check network security:
You should have a good understanding of how to monitor network security to protect all access points and detect network hacking attempts. Some network security controls include intrusion detection systems and firewalls.
5- Operating system experience:
Cyber attackers have different attack techniques for different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. They are experts in operating systems and have figured out the best way to launch an attack without attracting attention. To stop them, cyber security professionals need a solid understanding of different operating systems to find the best way to protect them from hackers.