With technology constantly introducing new features and advancements, the risk of cyber-attacks has also increased. These attacks are becoming more frequent and more severe, making it crucial to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals and their skills.
In this guide, we will discuss the top 7 cybersecurity skills that you should consider obtaining.
Why is cybersecurity important?
As the modern enterprise expands to include more users, devices, and programs and deals with increasing amounts of sensitive or confidential data, the importance of cybersecurity continues to increase.
The growing volume and complexity of cyber attacks and attackers only add to the challenges faced in securing systems and data.
Here are the seven sought-after cybersecurity skills:
Artificial intelligence:
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance the efforts of cybersecurity teams by providing automation, scalability, and intelligence. AI-powered systems can gather data from multiple sources across networks and analyze it in real-time, helping to identify and eliminate suspicious activity using machine learning analytics even before the team is alerted. You can use digital twin environments to develop strategies for mitigating similar future attacks and help security teams create decision-making trees in response to evolving threats.
Risk assessment:
Even if an organization strictly adheres to all cyber legislation and follows every NIST standard, it is still possible for them to be hacked. In the interconnected digital world, there is no guarantee of security for businesses. By evaluating the risk environment, it is possible to identify vulnerabilities in security and take steps to mitigate those risks.
Cloud security:
To secure the cloud, you must be proficient in web-based access controls and regulations such as SAML, OAuth, and WS-Federation. You should also have expertise in cloud platforms like AWS or Azure and be familiar with web application firewalls, IAM, operating systems, policy administration, and other related topics. To gain hands-on experience in cloud security, consider subscribing to a test environment service.
Penetration testing:
Penetration testing, also known as pen testing, is a crucial aspect of risk assessment. When an organization hires a pen tester, they seek a highly skilled security expert who can hack into a specific system. A pen test may involve scanning for vulnerabilities in a protected network or conducting a phishing attack on an organization's employees. To take charge, pen testers must be familiar with various technologies and capable of exploiting various attack vectors.
Blockchain security:
As blockchain technology becomes more widespread, there is a growing need to ensure its security. Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA Triad) of a blockchain system is essential, and there are also unique challenges specific to securing blockchain technology. These may include protecting API-based transactions, enforcing user identification and access controls, and managing privileged access. Maintaining a balance between openness and security is key to effective blockchain security.
Cybersecurity trainers:
To protect against cyber threats, many organizations invest in cybersecurity education programs for their employees. These programs are typically led by security professionals who teach employees how to recognize suspicious behavior and what steps they can take to protect themselves and the organization. Employees trained in cyber hygiene can be the first defense against cyber attacks.
Digital forensics:
Digital forensics specialists are responsible for investigating data breaches or malware attacks and determining the source of a cyber attack and how to prevent future occurrences. To excel in this field, you should have strong computer skills, knowledge of networking and programming, and excellent critical thinking abilities. Digital forensics involves analyzing data to understand the details of a cyber attack and how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
