Top 5 Cybersecurity Jobs of the Future

Top 5 Cybersecurity Jobs of the Future

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?,” you know that any organization has long-term goals—and specific plans on how to get there. But have you thought beyond five years? What about 20, or even 30, years from now? Consider this: Some of the best IT jobs of the future are related to the cybersecurity field. Here are five roles to help you aim high and continue achieving well into the future.

 

Internet of Things (IoT) Specialist

Put simply, IoT is the ability to connect many devices together over the internet. IoT connects billions of devices around the world, including your smartphone. We already have smart thermostats, smart office buildings, and even smart dog- and cat-trackers, and the future of IoT will only continue to grow and become more complex. In 2016, the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) invited over 100 hackers to try to exploit 20 smart home devices during a two-day hackathon. They were able to hack into 25% of devices, clearly exposing smart home security weakness.[i] The good news is that many companies are working on cybersecurity systems for IoT—and those interested in this type of cybersecurity job can easily get in on the ground floor of this fledgling industry.

Job requirements:[i]

• Use intelligent encryption to protect IoT devices
• Provide security updates and software patching
• Strengthen cloud security and incorporate access controls
• Design analytics programs to detect security breaches

 

Artificial Intelligence Specialist

If there’s one thing that is true of cybersecurity throughout the years, it’s that black hats and bad guys are always changing their strategies. Learning from past attacks in order to prevent future ones is certainly smart, but wouldn’t it be even smarter to have a program that can learn in real time? Enter artificial intelligence (AI). It’s useful for detecting “inside jobs” and attacks that have already bypassed initial security measures. Current uses of AI in this industry include the ability to analyze programs, detect malware, and block it during runtime—that is, catching the malware in the act, after it’s already in your system and doing its dirty work.[iii] For those who want to be on the cutting edge of cybersecurity, this is one of the best tech jobs for the future.

Job requirements:[iv]

• Design software programs and cybersecurity solutions using AI
• Build the infrastructure that can support and apply such programs
• Conduct research and testing to discover new ways AI can help make information more secure

 

Cloud Architect

While trendy topics like artificial intelligence and IoT steal the headlines, “cloud continues to be a primary factor in IT growth,” according to the CompTIA Trends in Cloud Computing 2016 report.[v] More than 90% of businesses use cloud services, and they’re becoming increasingly familiar with the technical details, meaning more experts will be needed. As more and more organizations not only adopt cloud computing, but want to learn how to make full—and secure—use of it, they’re finding that building new policies and procedures around cloud use and security is a number one priority. This is where the cloud architect comes in. Of companies that have added roles to their IT teams, 58% added a cloud architect, and expectations for the future are high.

Job requirements:[vi]

• Design and implement cloud applications
• Test cloud system functionality
• Identify and mitigate cloud security risks
• Shape cloud strategy and lead implementation across a variety of departments

 

Security Analyst

 According to the CSO’s U.S. State of Cybercrime survey, 70% of business suffered losses due to cybercrime in 2017.[vii] And the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the U.S. government discovered that ransomware attacks increased 300% in 2016.[viii] While we haven’t reached Mr. Robot levels, there’s no question that the number of cyberattacks will continue to increase. This might be bad news for businesses, but it’s good news for those considering careers as security analysts. This is a vital position that’s tasked with a wide variety of responsibilities in an organization, all with the goal of preventing and managing cyber attacks. It’s safe to say that as long as we have the Internet, security analysts will be one of the most in-demand jobs in information technology.

Job requirements:

• Monitor networks and cybersecurity systems
• Conduct penetration testing
• Manage installation of software and updates
• Stay on top of industry trends and knowledge
• Create and implement security standards and best practices

 

Security Engineer

With IoT technology, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and more, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity will continue to be one of the fastest-growing industries. However, the occupation that’s expected to have one of the highest needs for qualified professionals may surprise you: security engineers. Becoming a security engineer typically requires an advanced degree, experience, and certifications, making it one of the more difficult cybersecurity jobs to fill. However, this is also a somewhat new job title for many organizations, meaning there is plenty of opportunity and room for growth. As hackers become more and more sophisticated, qualified security engineers who can build cybersecurity systems that withstand attacks will find that opportunity knocks.

Job requirements:[ix]

• Act as the “architect” of the company’s cybersecurity systems, building new systems and updating vulnerable ones
• Design and configure firewalls across the network
• Oversee changes to the network that may affect security
• Investigate current attacks to help stop cyber threats

 

Cybersecurity careers are a great choice for those who want to dream big and be part of the top tech jobs of the future. From specializations that are in their infancy, like artificial intelligence for cybersecurity applications, to well-established career paths like security analyst, a wide variety of future technology jobs awaits those who are forward-thinking enough to prepare for them today.

 

References:

[i] http://www.businessinsider.com/hackathon-for-smart-homes-in-iot-internet-of-things-2016-3

[ii] http://media.techtarget.com/digitalguide/images/Misc/EA-Marketing/Eguides/Prevent-Enterprise-IoT-Security-Challenges.pdf

[iii] https://www.barkly.com/what-is-runtime-malware-defense

[iv] https://www.paysa.com/blog/2017/05/17/a-roadmap-to-becoming-an-ai-engineer/

[v] https://www.comptia.org/resources/trends-in-cloud-computing-2016

[vi] https://www.gartner.com/binaries/content/assets/events/keywords/catalyst/catus8/analyzing_the_role_and_skills_of_cloud_architect.pdf

[vii] https://www.csoonline.com/article/3211491/security/state-of-cybercrime-2017-security-events-decline-but-not-the-impact.html?upd=1510954457001

[viii] https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ccips/file/872771/download

[ix] http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/job-titles/security-engineer/#gref