Security streams you must know to commence your career in cybersecurity: Part 2

Hi, there! It's nice to see you again. If you're excited about exploring a few more vital security streams, you won't be disappointed. If you missed out on the first part of this blog series, you can find it here. In this second and final part, you'll learn about a few more security streams that are currently trending that you should explore to begin your career in cybersecurity.

As you know by now, organizations face a huge number of threats daily. Monitoring, preventing, and mitigating all vulnerabilities and threats are of the utmost importance to organizations. However, to do that, they need skilled specialists who not only respond to threats but also proactively look out for them. And that's where you'll come in if you gain skills, training, and expertise on security technologies that could fortify an organization's security posture. So, without further ado, dive into this blog to pave the path to your successful career by learning about four cybersecurity roles that are currently in high demand.

Penetration testing

Cyberattacks are unavoidable. Every organization will inevitably become the target of hackers at some point; depending on how they defend against these attacks, they'll either stop or fall victim to the hackers. To combat this, organizations hire pen testers or ethical hackers who can find security loopholes or vulnerabilities in the network before an attacker finds them. These testers are called white hats. Apart from testing systems and networks for vulnerabilities, white hats use social engineering techniques to try to manipulate users into providing their credentials, and also use tools to uncover background information about them to try and obtain their passwords.

If this interests you, you can take a penetration testing course to learn the tools and techniques that attackers (black hats) use, and help safeguard organizations from attacks.

Development, security, and operations (DevSecOps)

There are numerous developers who create functionalities in apps, but the ones who develop with security in mind are scant. Though security is an integral part of development, it's more often than not an afterthought to developers. Prior to the advent of DevSecOps, this meant software was built first and security features were later integrated into it. However, this isn't the responsible way of doing things, especially when cyberattacks are ubiquitous.

Thus, to ensure accountability, DevSecOps emerged. It works on the premise of security being a shared responsibility. In this approach, security is tightly integrated at each phase of software development. This method strikes the right balance between ease of software use and security. It also grants benefits such as early identification of vulnerabilities, agility, faster responses to the changing threat landscape, and quality assurance. To make DevSecOps advantageous to you, get certified, and you could land a lucrative job that marks the start of your career.

IoT security

It's undeniable that IoT devices have changed our daily lives, from fitness trackers to voice assistants and smart homes. Different manufacturers advertise how their product is superior to their rivals, but most of them neglect to mention that said superiority doesn't extend to security. This allows attackers to exploit vulnerabilities in IoT devices and turn them into botnets, which attackers can use to invade a network and even infect computers connected to this network with malware. The use of IoT devices is only going to grow in the future. So, you can use this opportunity to become an IoT expert and suggest security policies and the best practices to be followed to ensure security.

User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA)

Humans are arguably the weakest link from a security perspective. For this reason, attackers are continuously looking to compromise the accounts of vulnerable users. Organizations often face the consequences when a user's weak password is breached through a brute-force attack or when a user opens a malicious link from a phishing attack. Lack of commitment in following security policies is yet another factor that makes it easier for attackers to enter an organization's network. UEBA is a technology that can help prevent this.

UEBA uses machine learning algorithms to determine and distinguish normal behavior from abnormal behavior for every user and entity in an organization. So, when it detects a user or entity that deviates from its normal activities, it immediately sends an alert to the security analyst who can then implement measures to prevent or stop the attack. Several organizations have already adopted UEBA technology as a part of their security architecture. So, by getting trained on installing, configuring, and troubleshooting UEBA, you could be looking at a great career opportunity as a cybersecurity consultant.

With cyberattacks running rampant, cybersecurity solutions are gaining more prominence. Learning about new technologies and evolving existing technologies can go a long way in forging your career. If you're already a cybersecurity professional working in a security operations center, understanding a popular cybersecurity solution such as security information and event management (SIEM) can also do wonders for your career. So, take this opportunity to learn more about SIEM in this new e-book, Getting the best out of your SIEM, which every security analyst needs. Good luck, and thanks for reading, folks!