Tech advancements have brought both positive and negative effects. While digitization has made our lives convenient, it has also led to the emergence of serious online criminal activities. The rise in Cybercrimes cases has been a nightmare for both individuals and organizations.

Organizations have however been proactive and found measures to mitigate and fight Cybercrimes. This has led to the high demand for cyber security professionals.

A recent study by the Cyber security professional organization (ISC)² indicated that there are 3.1 billion unfilled positions globally. Another study established that cyber security positions take an average of 20% longer to fill and pay 16% more compared to other opportunities in the IT field. Cyber security jobs allow you to work in a fast-paced dynamic field that will expedite your learning and growth.

Whether you are already in the IT field or you are looking to switch careers, cyber security is a career path you should greatly consider.

By the end of this article, you will be able to establish the different careers in cyber security to learn online and the expected salaries. We’ve presented different options that you can exploit as you take your first step into this lucrative career.

We have divided the jobs into two levels; Entry level and mid-level and advanced Cyber security jobs.

Entry Level Cyber Security Jobs

Most cyber security professionals gain experience from the readily available cyber security jobs at the entry-level. For an entry-level, you only need a bachelor’s degree and up to three years of relevant experience.

What jobs are available here for you?

(All salary data represents average annual salaries in the US, according to Glassdoor (July 2022).)

1. Information Security Analyst

As an information security analyst in an organization’s computer networks and systems, you will do the following duties.

• Helping computer users with security products and procedures
• Investigating, documenting, and reporting security breaches
• Developing strategies to help their organization remain secure
• Monitoring networks for security breaches
• Researching IT security trends

Average Salary: $114,238

Feeder Role: Network or System Administrator

Related Jobs; Cyber Security Analyst, IT Security Analyst

2. Information Security Specialist

For this role, you act as the organization’s security point person, ensuring data is only accessible to authorized personnel. Your responsibilities include;

• Researching new security risks
• Testing and maintaining firewalls and antivirus software
• Implementing security training
• Suggesting improvements for security weaknesses

Average Salary: $110,505

Feeder Role: Networking, IT Support, Systems Engineering

Related Jobs; Cyber Security Specialist, Information Security Specialist

3. Digital Forensic Examiner.

If you enjoy solving puzzles, then this is your area. Digital forensic investigators retrieve information from computers and other digital devices to establish how a hacker accessed a system or to gather evidence for legal actions. Your tasks include;

• Documenting the data retrieval process and maintaining a chain of custody
• Assisting law enforcement in criminal investigations
• Collecting, preserving, and analyzing digital evidence
• Recovering data from erased or damaged hard drives
• Providing expert testimony in court proceedings

Average Salary: $83,643

Feeder Roles; IT Support, Risk Analyst

Related Jobs: Computer Forensic Specialist, Cyber Forensic Specialist, Digital Forensic Specialist

4. IT Auditor

As an IT auditor, your main role is to assess your company’s technology for potential security, efficiency, and compliance issues. Some of your daily tasks include;

• Guiding recommended and mandatory security measures
• Planning and performing audits
• Designing plans to fix any security risks
• Identifying opportunities for better efficiency
• Documenting and presenting audit findings

Average Salary: $103,465

Feeder Role: Network Administrator, Risk Analyst, IT Support.

Related Jobs: Internal IT Audit, Security Auditor

Mid-Level and Advanced Cyber Security Jobs

The consistent feature across all careers in cyber security to learn online and expected salaries is the space and pace of growth. As you gain experience in your area of specialization, more advanced opportunities open up. As a mid-level and Advanced Cyber security professional, the opportunities available for you include!

5. Security System Administrator

This role puts you in charge of the day-to-day cyber security operations of an organization. Amongst your duties are;

• Collaborating with security teams to respond to unwanted intrusions
• Monitoring systems and running regular backups
• Developing and documenting security procedures for the organization
• Participating in company-wide security audits
• Managing individual user accounts

Average Salary: $104,281

Feeder Role: Systems Administrator, Information Security Analyst.

Related Jobs: Security Administrator, Cyber Security Administrator, Information Security Officer

6. Penetration Tester

Amongst many careers in cyber security to learn online and expected salaries lie Penetration Tester. As a penetration officer, your task is to identify the security weaknesses of organizations before hackers can do the same. Through the organization’s permission, you attempt to breach their systems so that any weaknesses can be resolved ahead of time. Tasks include;

• Conducting social engineering exercises (attempting to get company employees to disclose confidential information)
• Providing technical support during incident handling
• Planning, designing, and carrying out penetration tests
• Creating reports on test results and offering recommendations to security decision-makers
• Developing scripts to automate parts of the testing process

Average Salary: $109,097

Feeder Role: Information Security Analyst, Incident Responder.

Related Jobs: White Hat Hacker, Ethical Hacker, Vulnerability Assessor.

7. Security Engineer

A security engineer designs systems to keep a company’s computer networks and data safe from cyber-attacks and natural disasters through firewalls and intrusion detection Systems. Duties include;

• Leading incident response teams
• Developing security standards and best practices
• Ensuring new security systems are installed and configured correctly
• Develop programs to automate vulnerability detection
• Testing security solutions
• Recommending security enhancements to management

Average Salary: $117,249

Feeder Role: Information Security Analyst, Penetration Tester

Related Jobs: Cyber Security Engineer, Network Security Engineer, Information Security Engineer

8. Security Architect

While there are many lucrative careers in cyber security to learn online and expected salaries, the security architecture is very unique. A security architect sets the security system vision for an organization through programming, threat research, and policy development to make an organization proactive to cybercrimes. Your tasks include;

• Preparing budgets and overseeing security expenses
• Coordinating security operations across IT and engineering departments
• Conducting breach of security drills
• Building and maintaining secure networks and systems
• Improving systems in response to security incidents or vulnerabilities

Average Salary: $166,531

Feeder Role: Security Engineer, Information Security Analyst

Related Jobs: Cyber Security Architect, Information Security Architect

9. Cryptography Engineer

Cryptography entails communication and information data exchange security. As a cryptologist, you will create encryption algorithms, ciphers, and other data encryption protocols as well as decrypt coded data. Common tasks include;

• Implementing encryption solutions

• Developing new cryptographic algorithms
• Testing new encryption techniques and tools
• Analyzing existing algorithms for vulnerabilities

Average Salary: $117,862

Feeder Role: Computer Programmer, Information Security Analyst, System Administrator

Related Jobs: Cryptologist, Cryptanalyst, Cryptography Engineer

10. Cyber Security Manager

A cyber security manager is the general overseer of an organization’s security infrastructure. Roles include;

• Managing human and technological resources
• Sourcing cybersecurity tools for the organization
• Ensuring compliance with security rules and regulations
• Tracking changes to internal and external security policy
• Leading risk mitigation efforts

Amongst the top careers in Cyber security to learn online and expected, Cyber security manager is top and well paying.

Average Salary: $138,642

Feeder Role: Information Security Analyst, Security Administrator

Related Jobs: Information Security Manager.

In Demand Cyber Security Skills.

Certifications alone are not enough. In this field, you need to be extremely good at what do. That’s why you need to sharpen your technical and workplace skills as you prepare to fulfill the vacant roles in this field. Let’s take a look at some skills that will get you ready.

• Intrusion detection
• Cloud Security
• Analytical thinking
• Risk assessment
• Programming (especially scripting) languages
• Encryption
• Problem-solving

Get Started in Cyber Security.

Are you passionate and interested in cybersecurity? Make your first step today. Register with us and become a cyber-security professional with the desired expertise that many organizations are craving out there.

With the right information and options regarding Careers in cyber security to learn online, you’re now ready for the lifetime investment that you’ll never regret. Visit us at plumlogixu to start your journey today.