Who is a Cyber Security Analyst? Salary, Skills & Career

Cyber security is the method of safeguarding servers, computers, electronic systems, mobile devices, network systems, and data from cyberattacks. These cyberattacks are commonly aimed at assessing, modifying, or destroying important information to extort money from users or interrupt regular business operations.

Cyber security analysts are professionals who help safeguard an organisation from different cyber threats. Having read about what is cybersecurity, let us move towards understanding what a cyber security analyst does, the prime responsibilities, skills required and the career scope.

Who is a Cyber Security Analyst?

Hackers across the world continue to use untried and creative techniques to hack and get control over an organisation’s sensitive data. As the count of cyber-attacks continues to increase, the need for cyber security analysts is also growing rapidly. So, who exactly a cyber security analyst is?

Cybersecurity analysts are network and IT professionals who protect an organisation’s hardware, software, and networks from cybercriminals and hackers. These hackers aim to cause damage or steal important and sensitive information/data.

In addition to this, the cyber security analyst also works on developing protocols that can be used to respond to and suppress cyberattacks.

With this article, you will be able to answer questions like.

• What is a cyber security analyst job role?
• What are the important skills to become a cyber security analyst?
• What are a cyber security analyst’s salary and career scope?

What Does a Cyber Security Analyst Do?

A typical cyber security analyst job description comprises a thorough understanding of cyberattacks, malware, and the practice of cyber criminals. They actively aim to predict and stop these attacks.

The strategies and approaches might differ depending upon the workplaces and organisations, but the broader idea stays the same. A few common cyber security analyst roles and responsibilities are:

• Install, operate, and modify the software over the networks in an organisation, to make sure the required security measures are up to date.
• Install and use firewalls, encryption programs, and other required security software.
• Monitor the networks and connected devices to stay notified of their activities. As per the observation, determine and respond to any harmful activity that occurs.
• Provide suggestions and develop security.
• Compose thorough incident response reports.
• Research for the forthcoming trends in technology. Remain updated on possible threats & attacks and comes up with preventative tactics.
• Conduct in-depth threat research via routine risk checks and penetration tests.
• Survey and respond to phishing emails and pharming exercises.
• Give suggestions and proper guidance to staff, on issues related to spam and avoided malicious emails.
• Carry out ethical hacking to determine safety vulnerabilities, which can then be resolved before a malicious attack. Read more about what is ethical hacking and how it helps identify malicious attackers.

Skills Required to Become Cyber Security Analysts

The profile of a cybersecurity analyst is a technical position that demands a special skill set. Some of them are.

• A thorough understanding of networking skills, as computer networks in an organisation, are the common targets of hackers.
• Good knowledge of programming languages like, Python, JavaScript, and SQL plays an essential role in identifying the threats.
• Well-versed with the different operating systems (Linux, iOS, Windows, etc) used by organisations.
• Data in today’s digital world plays a significant role in an organisation’s workflow. Thus, the knowledge of how to protect data from unauthorized access using tools like data encryption, key management, hashing, and tokenization is important.
• Monitor attacks and intrusion detection As cyber security analysts work is to focus on preventing attacks.
• Cyber security analysts must thoroughly understand of the different hacking processes, to stop and prevent cyber-attacks.
• Effective endpoint management skills, to ensure that only authorised and certified devices link to the network.
• Strong critical thinking capabilities, to determine and troubleshoot information security threats from an ocean of complex codes and software.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills, to address and explain security issues and related threats to clients, and employers. Even to people with a non-technical background.

Salary of Cyber Security Analysts in India

A cyber security analyst’s salary relies on a range of factors; like years of experience, qualification, certification, skills, sectors, and locations.

A cyber security analyst’s salary in India varies between ₹ 3 Lakhs to ₹ 10/ ₹ 11 Lakhs [Source ]. The average annual salary is somewhere around ₹ 5 to ₹ 5.5 Lakhs [Source ].

Cyber Security Analyst Career Scope

With an exponential increase in the number of hackers and the evolution of hacking strategies and tools, there is a growing demand for cyber security analysts who would be responsible for the company’s cyber security.

To become a cyber security analyst, it is important to have exceptional knowledge of programming, data administration, hacking and countermeasures. You can undertake in-person and online certification courses to gain relevant knowledge and build or accelerate your career in cybersecurity.

Emeritus India’s IT professional courses, can help you enhance your technical and programming skills required to address the different cyber security challenges. You can also explore other such courses that we offer in collaboration with reputed universities like IIT and MIT and choose any of them depending on your area of interest to boost your career and earn a competitive pay package.