Cyber security consultant jobs involve specialized duties in a growing field. As more companies store and transfer data through their network, hackers have more chances to steal their customers’ financial information. This makes the job of a cyber security (also called “cybersecurity”) consultant more in demand now than ever before.
Read on to learn what a cybersecurity consultant does and the expertise you need to succeed in this growing industry. Whether you’re an employee seeking opportunities in this field or a hiring manager wondering how to vet candidates for this job in your company, this article can get you up to speed.
Define Cyber Security Consultant Jobs
We know that cybersecurity consultants are in high demand, but what are they, exactly? The first thing you have to realize is that data no longer refers to what’s stored on a company’s hard drive. Data gets processed and transferred through media and finances across a company’s network all the time. This data often contains SSNs, both the customers’ and employees’, or information that can lead a clever hacker back to them.
Therefore, the more we lean on technology to do the work for us, the more vulnerable this information becomes without the services of an experienced cybersecurity consultant. This job devotes all its time to protecting company data as a result. Its responsibilities include:
- Performing regular analyses that assess threats and system security
- Updating identity verification and other security criteria
- Strategizing how to protect the company’s networks and IT systems against hackers
- Meeting with the company’s IT departments to work through safety procedures
A cybersecurity consultant job could be a full-time company hire or a freelance position. In the latter case, you would “rent” yourself to a company based on a service contract. Then, you would assess their systems and manage their IT departments. Either way, evaluating company risk, finding faults in their security, and putting in place your solutions to those faults makes up the core of a cybersecurity consultant’s duties.
What Skills do you Need?
Regardless of whether you’re a freelancer, on retainer, or a company employee, as a cybersecurity consultant you need specific skills.
Firstly, you need to understand the latest hacking strategies, how hackers think, and how to plan around them. If security breaches do occur, you need experience handling and responding to those incidents.
Next, there are day-to-day duties to consider. You need skills in auditing and compliance management. You need to know how encryption works, how to set up firewalls (including IDS and IPS), how to detect intruders, and how to analyze data.
These duties cross many fields from computer science to information technologies to statistics to business administration. Therefore, a well-rounded candidate will have education and experience that reflects this diversity.
The Takeaway
Cyber security consultant jobs require diverse skills and training. The field remains competitive because of the high demand for consultants in a world that increasingly puts more stock in digital storage and data transfer systems.
Therefore, you should use this brief guide to find the right employees for your company. Or if you’re an aspiring employee, use it to know what employers are looking for when you try to get hired as a cybersecurity consultant.