What is the Scope of Cyber Security Professionals in 2020?

When we talk about the cybersecurity market, there still persists a skill gap that will take a couple of years to fill up. In the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), a lot of job and salary data was explored in the cybersecurity space. And it was found that the scope of Cyber Security is buzzing with well-paying jobs that require a well-armed cyber workforce.

According to the predictions by experts, the scope of the Cyber Security market will become $170 billion industry by 2020. For the last 5 years, Cyber Security professionals have been making more salary than average IT professionals. And the average salary gap across the gap is 9% to state the least.

While the job size is growing, salaries are better, the skill gap is taking time to fill up. It was identified by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education Center in 2017 if job aspirants don’t start upskilling, the industry will face a deficiency of 1.8 million Cyber Security experts by 2020.

This is a potential security threat.

Ask why should you learn Cyber Security? It is evident that the Cyber Security attacks are not turning back. Every 3 seconds a new malware is being created and that intends to find a victim and lead to damage of some scale.

That means while the cyber hackers are working at a very higher pace, the attack prevention system is still struggling to have a sufficient workforce. Do you know what sounds more alarming?

According to the research by GISWS, almost 66% of the cyber security workforce that was the part of the study lacked the right skillset to combat the attacks that are being fabricated currently.

To fill the gaps, organizations are encouraging the existing employees to chisel their skills by taking up certifications. Or they are working on building in-house teams to stay alert and protect against cyberattacks.

What kind of Scope with Cyber Security does have in India?

India has turned into a hotbed for Cyber Security experts. According to a recent study by Indeed.com, the scope of Cyber Security has turned more competitive in India. There are more job post clicks in India as compared to the US and UK. As per the industry stats, most hiring is happening for the below roles.

• Network Security Engineer
• Cyber Security Analyst
• Security Architect
• Cyber Security Manager
• Chief Information Security Officer

Over the last a couple of years, the average salary of a Cyber Security professional has been performing 9% better than any other IT professionals. The freshers are able to get good packages starting from 7 lacs and the experienced resources are in more demand drawing salaries in the range of 20-24 lacs.

Thus the scope of Cyber Security in India is better than ever. Here is a video that explains why the need is the most now:

Every geography has a different kind of skillset requirement. In India, most of the Cyber Security job post is looking for resources proficient in:

• Python
• Virtualization Network Services and Security
• Linux
• Cryptography,
• Android
• IoT
• Windows Server

Explaining the Top 5 Cyber Security Job Profiles in India

It is evident that there is a shortage of Cyber Security professionals in the market but the scope of Cyber Security jobs in India is growing. Eventually, we expect more millennials understand that the industry is witnessing explosive growth. Here are the profiles that are in much demand in India:

1. Network Security Engineer

This happens to be a very critical role and almost every company of any scale has a network security engineer or specialist. His job is to implement the ideal security system in the network as per the requirement. He ensures that:

1) The security systems are maintained
2) Vulnerabilities are identified in time
3) Automation is improved without sacrificing the security
4) The firewalls, switches, and routers are maintained to prevent security breaches.

Salary

The scope of Cyber Security jobs in India of this profile is pretty high. The average salary of a network security engineer is in the range of 6 lac and go maximum up to 8 lacs.

2. Cyber Security Analyst

As the name suggests he a network analyst who ensures all the security parameters of a network are intact at any given point in time. He analyses the security requirements of a new network or a network that requires an upgrade. And then he plans, implements and upgrades the security aspects.

He and his team are required to continuously monitor the network access, perform edits and identify the system vulnerabilities. He analyses the risk, does security assessments and effectively manages the network. Additionally, he conducts security awareness training and ensures the best security practices are followed always.

Salary

The scope of Cyber Security in India for analysts is good and they draw a good salary. The average salary the industry is offering them is close to 6 lacs and the maximum it goes to is 10 lacs.

3. Security Architect

He is the network designer. According to his analysis, the security architecture and set up an organization is designed. He researches the existing setup and then assesses the further need.

In association with the development team, he makes sure his designs are actually implemented into the system. As they design the practical system, they also have a critical role in designing the security policies of any organization.

Salary

This is quite a senior role in the industry and the scope of Cyber Security posts for architects is good. As per Indeed.com India, a Security Analyst draws an average salary of Rs 17 lacs.

4. Cyber Security Manager

Once the security protocols are set up by the above three levels, the Cyber Security manager’s job is to make sure all these protocols are evenly followed across the organization. Working at a higher level, they need to stay abreast of the latest security threats so that the organization’s security set up also stays ready.

They are required to analyze and strategize the changes in security policies, keep auditing the current set up and making sure there are no vulnerabilities in the setup.

Salary

The salary drawn by the Cyber Security manager ranges from Rs 12 – 24 lacs.

5. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

He is a C-level executive who works as a security head of any organization. This has become a very critical and important position in an organization of any scale because howsoever small or big the organization is, an IT infrastructure is always present. He oversees the entire security setups, not from a micro-level but he manages all the security heads who report to him.

Salary

As discussed that he plays a very important role, his salary ranges from 2-4 crores.

What are the Exact Requirements & Scope of Cyber Security jobs in India?

If you were searching for the right and growth path in IT, you must have identified it by now. But before you tread into the territory or plan to upgrade yourself, it is very important to know the details at a granular level.

Educational or Experience Requirements

There is a tremendous scope of Cyber Security jobs in India and to enter the field of Cyber Security, one must possess some kind of Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. It would be an engineering degree or a 3-year graduate program that specializes in Computer networks and systems.

If you have more than 2-5 years of relevant experience in the field of cybersecurity, the field is perfectly ripe for you right now. The demand is growing so if you want to lead the pack, you can always take some certifications or keep renewing your existing certifications to keep growing.

What Cyber Security Skills are in demand in 2020?

There is no denying that the job market is expanding and will continue to do so. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) by 2020, the demand for Information Security Analysts would be up by 37%.

The precise technical skills for procuring a handsome salary are difficult to pinpoint as there are so many sub-disciplines. It is important to note that the scope of Cyber Security in all these disciplines is good. But from a broader perspective, we can say that to penetrate into space one must have basic to advanced knowledge of:

(i) Network and system architecture, administration, and management know-how

(ii) Having a skill in a popular programming language like Java, C/C++, PHP, Python or shell.

Organizations are also putting a strong emphasis on hiring certified professionals. Some of these certifications are:

• Certified Ethical Hacker- CEH
• Offensive Security Certified Professional- OSCP
• Certified Information Security Auditor – CISA
• GIAC Certified Incident Handler- GCIH
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional -CISSP
• Information Systems Security Architecture Professional- CISSP-ISSAP
• Information Systems Security Engineering Professional- CISSP-ISSEP
• Information Systems Security Management Professional- CISSP-ISSMP

Paychecks are Getting even Better-2020

First things first. It is one of the very few industries that has witnessed a 0% unemployment rate since 2016.

In 2019, the scope of Cyber Security in India and the professional’s salaries shattered the glass ceilings. Some of the mid-sized organizations paid salaries in the range of $150,000 to $200,000. And then some professionals were able to derive salaries up to $500,000

Some of these heavily paid job posts were Freelance Bug Bounty Hunters, Chief Information Security Officer, Deputy CISO, Lead Software Security Engineer and Cybersecurity Sales Engineer.

According to the conservative job estimates, the scope of Cyber Security jobs in India landscape will witness a 37% job growth by 2022. And some of the job titles will be in heavy demand. These are:

• Security Analyst
• Security Engineer or Architect
• Security/IT Director or Manager
• Systems Administrator
• Network Architect or Engineer
• Forensic Investigator
• Auditor
• Systems Engineer or Integrator

Giants are Recruiting

Did you know even NASDAQ is building a cybersecurity team? Look at the stats coming in from different part of the world:

(i) Most of the organizations will be increasing their spend on cybersecurity protect by 1-9%

(ii) While in the U.S. some organizations plan to increase in the range of 10-39%. In the UK the spend will go up by 30%.

Cybersecurity has become business-critical for every organization. As the attacks are extremely dynamic, it requires a highly specialized and disciplined approach to combat them. Over these years companies have suffered insufficient staffing challenges and now they are ready to pay more but fortify the security walls.

How important are Soft Skills?

What might look like a techie job on the core, demands some soft skills too? Here is the list of these skills:

Analytical Skills

A Cyber Security professional is required to analyze the network, incidents and then find the right fixes in a very short interval of time. It is a very important skill for a Cyber Security aspirant and the scope of Cyber Security is good.

Team Leading Skills

As the skills force is limited currently, many times even an individual contributor is required to lead a certain incident. Thus any professional in this domain must have a client and team handling skills.

Communicative

As security is in an integral part of the entire organization, a Cyber Security expert is required to work across the organization. He must maintain good relations across and must be clear in his communication to avoid any confusion.

Learning Spirit

Cyber Security is a very dynamic field and the scope of Cyber Security in India is growing. The entire hierarchy from top to bottom must be ready to learn about new attacks, learn new combat techniques and work on their implementation from time to time.

Ponder Before you Venture

It is advisable that before you get into the field, ask yourself these questions:

(i) What skills do I have currently to fit into the cybersecurity industry?

(ii) According to my education, what kind of certification will help me?

(iii) Is it important for me to get a certification?

(iv) What and how many certifications should I do to venture into space?

(v) Is my certification credible enough?

(vi) For how long is my certification valid?

Conclusion

A leading Cyber Security company Absoluteshared that42% of the endpoints of any company’s network are unprotected. And at any given time almost 100% of endpoint security tools fail thus the organizations are facing a negative ROI when it comes to the security spend.

This further emphasizes that the industry is in need of a qualified workforce that can work relentlessly and ensure maximum security to the organization’s network.

At the end of the day, nobody can deny the fact that cyber-attacks have turned more complex than ever. But the Cyber Security experts are yet to skill-up. While the opportunity is right there, it is the best time to learn Cyber Security skills or upgrade the existing ones so that you are ready to ride the Cyber Security job wave of 2020.

Having an in-depth knowledge of the most asked Cyber Security interview questions will surely help you to crack your interview with perfection.

So, if you are inspired by the opportunities provided by Cyber Security & want to build a career in it? Enroll in our Cyber Security Course to elevate your career.