Cybersecurity has often been accentuated as a sought after career. As the number of cyber attacks continues to inflate and cyber crime continues to grow, more jobs in cyber security will need to be filled to protect corporations, governments, and citizens from the growing threat.
Due to high demand, there are many entry-level job opportunities. These are some jobs that you can get with a degree in cyber security, the responsibilities of each position and their average annual salary.
IT Support Technician
IT support technicians ensure companies run smoothly by providing technical support. These professionals’ work usually revolves around the detection and resolution of technical problems, as well as monitoring and maintaining computer systems. They also assist customers to troubleshoot IT issues or repair technological equipment. To succeed in this job, one should have a problem-solving approach and have great communication and interpersonal skills.
What does an IT support technician do?
An IT support technician’s duties include:
- Installing and setting up computer hardware, software, systems, networks, printers, and scanners
- Providing customers with information on IT products and services
- Preparing and presenting reports to keep management up-to-date on IT operations
- Responding punctually to service issues and requests
- Designing and maintaining applications or websites for clients
- Providing technical support across the company in person or over the phone
- Setting up accounts
- Testing new technology
IT support technician salary
The average annual pay for an entry-level IT support technician is $66,320 a year.
Network Engineer
Network engineers may work as part of an organization’s IT support team, or as part of an outsourced IT networking consultancy firm. These individuals specialize in the concept and creation of data networks, aiming to provide maximum performance for users of network infrastructures. They also work to keep the network secure and ensure that all information is safe from hacking. In addition, they work to keep systems updated throughout the constant evolution of technology.
What does a network engineer do?
A network engineer’s responsibilities include:
- Establishing, developing, and maintaining computer networks within an organization
- Protecting data, software, and hardware by coordinating, planning, and implementing network security measures.
- Replacing faulty network hardware components when required
- Analyzing data use and traffic on networks
- Supervising network’s building process
- Coordinating computer network access and use
Network engineer salary
The average annual pay for an entry-level network engineer is $55,216 a year.
Information Security Analyst
Information security analysts are actively involved in developing the disaster response plan for their organization, a practice that IT workers undertake in the event of an emergency. These professionals must remain up-to-date on IT security measures and on the new techniques attackers use to hack computer systems. To decide what will most efficiently secure their organization, they need to study new security technologies.
What does an information security analyst do?
An information security analyst duties include:
- Monitoring the networks of the company for security breaches and investigating a breach when one happens
- Preparing reports detailing safety violations and the extent of the damage caused by the breaches
- Suggesting improvements in security to management or senior IT employees
- Developing the organization’s safety standards and best practices
- Performing penetration testing
- Gathering end-user feedback to continue improving systems
Information security analyst salary
The average annual pay for an entry-level information security analyst is $66,320 a year.
Cyber Intelligence Analyst
Cyber intelligence analysts, also known as cyber crime analysts, are experts who use their skills and background knowledge to help fight the actions of cyber criminals, such as hackers and malware creators, in fields such as network management or network engineering. In order to work with data and detect statistically relevant patterns linked to cyber threats, cyber intelligence analysts need to have well-established research and analytical abilities.
What does a cyber intelligence analyst do?
A cyber intelligence analyst’s duties involve:
- Utilizing threat intelligence to mitigate any potential data threats and defend data
- Identifying an organization’s security vulnerabilities and pinpoint indicators of compromise (IOC)
- Predicting future activities of potential cyber criminals
- Communicating with executives, chief technology officers, and IT departments to warn of possible risks to data
Cyber intelligence analyst salary
An entry-level intelligence analyst can expect to earn an average total compensation of $56,605.
IT Auditor
Information technology auditors help organizations by protecting their internal controls within their technology system. These professionals safeguard sensitive information by identifying weaknesses in a system’s network and creating strategies to prevent any security breaches in the technology. They must have an excellent understanding of Firewalls, VPN, Data Loss Prevention, Web-Proxy, and Security Audits. Also, IT auditors need to have problem-solving skills, meticulous attention to detail, and a great understanding of cyber security trends.
What does an IT auditor do?
An IT auditors tasks include:
- Observing staff in their day-to-day duties, accumulate data from logs and other sources, and scan networks for known vulnerabilities
- Utilizing automated software tools (such as Microsoft’s Baseline Security Analyzer) to detect common misconfigurations.
- Writing their findings, conclusions, and recommendations in comprehensible reports
- Working with IT departments to follow up on making changes recommended in those reports
- Troubleshooting security and network problems
- Performing regular audit testing and providing recommendations.
- Developing a strong understanding of business and system processes
- Maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information while working with a variety of technologies and security problems
IT auditor salary
An entry-level information technology auditor with less than 1-year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $58,616.
Junior Penetration Tester
Penetration testers are also known as ethical hackers, who work in the information technology field to ensure that those without permission are unable to access the data of an organization. These professionals help detect security defects and vulnerabilities involving their digital assets and networks. Junior penetration testers typically work under the supervision of senior penetration testers. Creativity, agility, research skills, communication skills, and the ability to efficiently articulate complex technical information are needed for the role of a junior penetration tester.
What does a junior penetration tester do?
A junior penetration testers responsibilities include:
- Conducting tests on NAND applications
- Performing physical assessments of servers, systems, and network device security
- Keeping up with the latest practices for ethical hacking and testing
- Evaluating new penetration testing tools continuously
- Analyzing security policies that identify procedures and rules for accessing and using their IT resources
Junior penetration tester salary
The average annual pay for a junior penetration tester is $97,838 a year.
The cyber security field offers many entry-level opportunities from positions such as network engineer, IT auditor, information security analyst, and more. If you see any of the jobs is a great fit for you, check out our Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and Master of Science in Cyber Security degrees and jump-start your career.
