Cybersecurity analysts are responsible for protecting computer networks and systems, as well as the information they contain, from cyberattacks and unauthorized access. They work to anticipate and defend against cyber threats, and respond to security breaches. The day-to-day tasks of a cybersecurity analyst will vary depending on the company, but some common responsibilities include:
- Evaluating networks and computer systems for potential vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit
- Fixing security vulnerabilities and using data encryption programs, firewalls, and other techniques to safeguard digital data
- Establishing best practices for security standards for their organizations
- Monitoring their organizations networks for security breaches and investigating when one occurs
- Examining reports, data, and analytics to identify suspicious activity and threats
- Developing protections and informing their company’s choice of security software
- Providing advice to company leadership on what they can do to improve their security and organizing training programs to help non-technical employees better understand and adhere to the organization’s security policies
- Conducting digital forensics at a digital crime scene to identify whether a real or attempted breach occurred, look for lingering security flaws or malware left behind, and try to recover data
Cybersecurity analysts need to understand the latest cyber threat landscape, as well as their company’s IT infrastructure. Depending on where they work, this might mean having familiarity with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems and experience with firewalls, VPNs, and proxies, as well as security and information event management systems (SIEMs) . While a degree is not strictly necessary to get a job as a cybersecurity analyst, most job listings require at least a bachelors degree in cybersecurity or a related field. Aspiring cybersecurity analysts can benefit from developing strong technical skills, including scripting, intrusion detection, network security control, incident response and cybersecurity forensic investigations, cloud security, and DevOps.
