Malware Analyst – Career, Job and Skills
Malware Analysts are masters of programming, great critical thinkers, and excellent problem-solvers. They work closely with cybersecurity specialists and are skilled to tackle cyberattacks effectively. If you plan to make a career as a malware analyst, here’s a step-by-step guide on developing a career in it.
How to develop a career as a Malware Analyst?
Step 1: Focus on getting the proper education
Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, or a similar field is the first step in making a career in cybersecurity. Education plays a critical role in building a successful career. It helps acquire job-specific skill sets and enhances your ability to be one step ahead of highly skilled cyber attackers.
Step 2: Trace your career path
Aspiring Malware Analysts commonly start their careers as developers or programmers. It helps them learn the fundamentals of how malicious software is created.
A path moving up through the security department helps aspirants understand the security principle and possess advanced programme skills, which allows them in their careers as Malware Analysts. It helps them to detect threats before they occur and suggest ways to tackle them.
Pro-tip: A typical career path for people wanting to develop a career as a malware analyst would be to start as a cybersecurity specialist. It will help them learn the essential skills required to excel in the field. Moreover, it will extend your knowledge about cyberattacks and different ways to deal with them.
You will also learn how to use your programming skills to identify the root cause of cyberattacks and other cyber-related activities.
Step 3: Understand the Fundamentals of the Job Position
Before taking up a job, it is recommended to understand the job position thoroughly. It will help you know your what day-to-day duties and the skills you will need to complete them effectively. Here are some typical roles and responsibilities of a Malware Analyst.
- Respond to incident reports
- Recommend and carry out procedures designed to help the company recover from inflicted damage by cyberattacks
- Responsible for preventing the spread of malware
- Stay up to date on the latest malware and software updates
Here are the top skills an aspiring Malware Analyst must possess:
- Ability to reverse engineer code
- Knowledge of different operating systems and networking
- Ability to identify, contain, and mitigate potential malware
- Excellent communication skills
- Intuitiveness
- Creative thinker
Step 4: Take up certification courses
Fresher and experienced cybersecurity or security management professionals who have established their careers in information technology and are looking to enhance their skills and knowledge on responding to cyberattacks and growing their careers can benefit from certification programmes.
An advanced professional course in IT or cybersecurity will help you observe, analyse, strategise, and implement high-performing cybersecurity strategies to ensure the safety and security of your companies’ essential data, networks, and devices, among others. Additionally, these learning programmes accelerate your career prospects.
Emeritus India has partnered with renowned institutes to offer some of the best professional certification courses in cybersecurity. Joining our learning programmes will help you specialise in cybersecurity from globally recognised universities and open doors to new avenues.
FAQ
Cybersecurity protects and secures an organisation’s system, network, server, and data from malicious attacks.
2. What is malware?
Malware is a collective name for several malicious software variants, including viruses, ransomware, and spyware. A machine becomes infected with malware when it experiences unauthorised access or compromised data.
Ethical hacking is an unauthorised practice of detecting vulnerabilities in an application, system, or organisation’s infrastructure to identify potential data breaches and threats.
4. What is a hacker?
Hacker is an individual with excellent computer programming and technical skills to overcome a challenge or problem related to modern systems. There are two different types of hackers, namely white hat and black hat. While white hat hackers use their skills and knowledge when asked by organisations, black hat hackers break into a company’s data and system unannounced.
