How to Become a Cybersecurity Engineer in 2024? – Simplilearn
Lesson 3 of 61By Karin Kelley
As today’s world becomes increasingly more dependent on the Internet and mobile computing to accomplish so many of our everyday tasks, the issue of security becomes more urgent. As a result, this boosts the demand for more Cybersecurity engineers.
Cybersecurity is a fascinating branch of Information Technology and is ideal for people who enjoy a challenge. The field is ripe with potential, and we’re about to show you why a cybersecurity career is a fantastic (and rewarding!) choice.
Before exploring how to become a cyber security engineer, let us learn more about the role.
A cyber security engineer designs and implements secure network solutions designed to defend against hackers, cyberattacks, and other persistent threats. They also engage in continually testing and monitoring these systems, making sure that all the system’s defenses are up to date and working correctly.
Often, a cybersecurity engineer’s position is called something else, like data security engineer, IT security engineer, or Web security engineer. Furthermore, sometimes, the role of a cyber security engineer is rolled into a different IT position, especially in smaller companies that can’t afford a cyber security specialist.
Let us get to know how to become a cybersecurity engineer after we learn what one does in the role.
The roles and responsibilities of a cybersecurity engineer include:
Note that a cybersecurity engineer's job and responsibilities come very close to those of a security analyst. A cyber security engineer designs and builds systems, while a security analyst is more concerned with putting the system through its paces, trying to break it.
There is an overlap, however, since many cyber security engineers routinely conduct stress tests and attempt to predict the weak spots and test them out. It’s not unusual to see job listings for a Security Engineer/Analyst, effectively rolling both positions into one.
Before we learn how to become a cyber security engineer, let us look at the required qualifications.
In general, a cybersecurity engineer must have the following qualifications:
Note that different organizations may have more or fewer qualifications or attach lesser or greater importance to any of the given criteria.
Let us learn how to become a cyber security engineer after understanding the salary stats.
Also Read: An Ultimate Guide to Cyber Security for Beginners
The average cybersecurity engineer salary is around $101,000 a year, according to Glassdoor. Senior-level engineers earn an average of $145K annually, while beginners can look forward to $71K a year. Nice work if you can get it!
In India, a cyber security engineer’s salary averages ₹600,000 a year, while a similar engineer in Australia earns A$95K and an engineer in the UK can make £47,048 annually.
Of course, the above numbers can fluctuate depending on the demand in your part of the world. But regardless of the range, a cyber security engineer can earn some serious pay.
Before understanding how to become a cyber security engineer, let us learn about the demand for the role.
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By the end of 2021, there was approximately 3.5 million cybersecurity vacancies worldwide. The demand for cyber security engineers will continue to grow as businesses, governments, and other organizations rely more on digital platforms.
That’s the good news. The bad news (at least from a business owner’s perspective) is that there will be a corresponding widening skill gap regarding cyber security professionals.
The Forbes article from a couple of years back called cyber security, “the fast-growing job with a huge skill gap.” The article cites an ISACA report that predicted a world shortage of two million cybersecurity professionals by 2019. And here we are in 2022, and not only has the Forbes prediction come true, but the situation is also getting worse.
In terms of cyber-related crime, Cybersecurity Ventures predicted that the annual costs of cyber crime damages would increase dramatically, going from $3 trillion in 2015 to $6 trillion by the end of 2021. Looking forward, Cybersecurity Ventures expects global cybercrime costs will reach $10.5 trillion per year by 2025. Consequently, Gartner predicts that cyber security spending will hit $172 billion this year.
Although countless companies are hiring cyber security engineers, these ten companies lead the pack in cyber security professional hiring.
When taken all together, these forecasts paint a promising picture for anyone interested in becoming a cyber security engineer. It’s reasonable to call cyber security engineering (and related positions) a “recession-proof career.”
So now that you know what a cyber security engineer does, what they make, and how secure the career is, you no doubt are curious about how to become one.
Let us learn how to become a cyber security engineer with the following career path.
The typical timeline to becoming a cyber security Engineer can depend on your education, experience, and certifications. Most people can get into an entry-level cyber security Engineer position within two to four years if they have the required experience. For someone who has already been working in IT and has enough experience, a certification is a sure-fire way to quickly transition into this field.
To become a cyber security engineer, you should have a bachelor’s degree in a field related to cyber security. This can include Computer Science, IT, or Software Engineering, to name a few. Earlier, most companies wouldn’t require a candidate to have such a degree if they are skilled enough, but the rise in competition has led to an increasing number of organizations adopting this requirement.
If you are already a graduate in another field, you can opt to continue your education by earning a master’s degree in a field closely related to cyber security. This will be especially crucial if you want to become a Senior Cyber Security Engineer. You can also get certified in similar fields to get a leg up in your career.
Although it’s a wise idea to obtain cybersecurity certifications, beginners can make the journey a little easier by engaging in some independent study, namely taking up some appropriate reading material. Consider some of the following books:
We have already seen the list of prerequisites to become a cyber security engineer. For starters, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in any field related to cyber security. Next, you need to get some years of work experience in cyber security under your belt. And the final step is to get a certification. Certification gives you additional skills and knowledge as well as provides verifiable evidence that you are well-trained for the position you’re applying for. Simplilearn offers several cyber security certifications for you to choose from:
There are plenty of others, but the above list represents some of the more popular ones. The below video will give you an idea about the various Cyber Security Certifications:
We will now learn all about how to become a cybersecurity engineer.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the cybersecurity training choices. Fortunately, Simplilearn is here to make things, well, simpler for you! When you’re looking for that first certification, Simplilearn’s CEH (v10) – Certified Ethical Hacking Course is a great place to start. The course will train you on the advanced step-by-step methodologies that hackers use. These include writing virus codes and reverse engineering, so you can better protect corporate infrastructure from data breaches.
This ethical hacking course will help you master advanced network packet analysis and advanced system penetration testing techniques to build your network security skill set and beat hackers at their own game. Additionally, consider enrolling in the best cyber security bootcamp to further enhance your expertise and stay ahead in the field.
The course offers 40 hours of instructor-led training, six months of free access to CEH v10 labs, and an exam pass guarantee! Hackers are a cyber security engineer’s greatest enemy, so by taking this course and getting your certification; you’re better equipped to stop them dead in their tracks and keep your company’s systems safe.
Even if you’re not currently interested in becoming a cybersecurity engineer, this is an excellent upskilling resource for you in your current position, increasing your value and prestige at your workplace or organization. Take the course and join the fight for a more secure Internet!
Karin has spent more than a decade writing about emerging enterprise and cloud technologies. A passionate and lifelong researcher, learner, and writer, Karin is also a big fan of the outdoors, music, literature, and environmental and social sustainability.
CEH (v12)- Certified Ethical Hacker
Post Graduate Program in Cyber Security
Caltech Cybersecurity Bootcamp
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