Cybersecurity is one of the most demanded and highest-paid professions in today’s world. Industry experts predict zero unemployment for cybersecurity experts in 2021 and after that. Cybersecurity specialists are highly sought on the job market amid the growing rate of cybercrime and hacker attacks.
The statistic shows that in 2019 alone cybercrime caused losses worth $2 trillion. According to Forbes, in 2021 this amount will go up to $6 trillion, which is much higher than the losses caused by natural disasters worldwide. Therefore, it is hardly a surprise for anyone that cybersecurity experts are among the highest-paid IT professionals.
So we decided to make a list of the top cybersecurity jobs in 2021 that you should consider if you are eyeing a career in the industry.
Before we go ahead with our Top 5 list, we should note that cybersecurity experts can be divided into three categories:
White hat – those who work legally to secure the protection of a company’s data, expose vulnerabilities, and help avoid them.
Grey hat – hackers who attack websites without any malicious intention and goals to make a profit or cause harm.
Black hat – hackers who harm by illegally penetrating systems, networks, and devices for some profit, including based on orders from “clients”.
In this blog post, we will only focus on the “white hat” zone. So here is our list.
Anti-Fraud Analyst
Anti-fraud analysts are usually employed in banking and fintech businesses. They are in charge of the security of online financial transactions carried out by individuals, for example, in an “online bank”. They set and monitor the limits of transactions made from one payment card, the maximum amount of one-time purchases or one buyer, the number of payment cards used by a user during a certain period, etc. They keep account and analyze the history of transactions to expose possible suspicious operations.
Reverse Engineering Expert
Reverse engineering experts are tasked with performing detailed analyses of the code in a bid to expose any vulnerability of the software when it comes to cyber-attacks. These experts must know the basic principles of coding, programming languages (at least C++, ASM, Python), the types of vulnerabilities OWASP Top 10, SANS Top-25, etc. After analyzing the code and exposing possible threats, they provide recommendations to protect the system.
Information Assurance Software Developer
Information assurance software developers combine the knowledge and skills of developers and the knowledge and skills of information assurance. They should know languages such as CI/CD, AWS or MS Azure, frameworks, antivirus software, and DLP systems. They develop internal systems for information assurance and tracking of cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity Forensic Analyst
Most cybersecurity forensic analysts are freelancers. They are hired for specific cases and are tasked with investigating computer or financial crime: hacker attacks on servers, desktops, etc. They are looking to find traces of the attack, find the possible scenarios of how it took place, the timeline of events, the types of breaches that have been made, etc. They collect evidence with the ultimate goal of finding hacker groups. They know programming languages, can use protection tools and know what techniques hackers use to get around them.
Penetration Testers
Penetration testers or pen-testers test the system and check how well-protected a company’s data is. They expose the weak spots and strengthen the protection of a business’s information. They examine the integrity of an IT system. Pentesters are usually hired by big IT and financial companies that hold huge amounts of data. They need to have deep knowledge of OS Windows/Linux, networks, and vulnerabilities.
Looking at the way the market is going, the level of demand for cybersecurity experts and salaries in the industry is only set to go up. So if you want to get a piece of the pie, keep an eye on our Vacancy Board for the latest opportunities in the industry!
And don’t forget we are always here for a free professional consultation to help you on your way to your stellar career! Good luck!
