Top Skills Required to Start Your Career in Cybersecurity

Have you been thinking of a career in cybersecurity? It certainly is a good time to do so. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career fields, with strong demand from employers and a shortage of qualified employees. There are opportunities in nearly every industry, offering good salaries with long-term job security.

To start a cybersecurity career or transition into the field, you must do a quick self-assessment. The concepts can be learned, but it will help if you already possess some of the skills for cybersecurity. Anyone with an excellent approach to problem-solving and attention to detail already has entry-level cyber security skills. With the right kind of thinking and a solid work ethic, you could already be well on your way to a fast-paced, rewarding career.

Considering a Career in Cybersecurity: Why Choose It?

Considering any career, whether you’re just entering the workforce or looking for a new job, can raise some concerns. You may wonder if it’s the right move or if you should choose something else. However, there’s never been a better time to start your career in cybersecurity. It’s a career with and opportunities in several different roles. For example, information security analyst jobs are predicted to grow by 32% between now and 2032 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Experts expect cybersecurity hiring to remain strong for the foreseeable future (Fortune, 2023). As companies return to normal following the Covid-19 pandemic, the way business is done has changed. Remote work has gone from a unique case for field salespeople and branch offices to something more common. Today, the cloud connects employees globally like no one could have imagined just a few years ago (Grand View Research, 2023). This increased adoption of the cloud has only increased the need for information security professionals.

Essential Skills for Entering Field Cybersecurity

So, what are the essential skills needed for cyber security? At the top of the list are problem-solving skills. Day in and day out, cybersecurity professionals are called to address complex issues in creative ways. New information security threats always emerge, requiring cybersecurity pros to think quickly and apply their existing knowledge. Attention to detail, strong analytical skills, and the ability to evaluate the most minute details go a long way in a cybersecurity career.

As an information security worker, you’ll need excellent communication skills. You’ll work with many different people in a wide range of roles from nearly every department. The ability to clearly explain security issues, their impact, and how to address them is critical. At specific points, you’ll be required to speak in technical language. At others, you’ll need to explain things in ways that your non-technical co-workers can understand.

Your next move should be to look for a certification that not only equips you with the foundational technical aspects of cybersecurity but also provides thorough hands-on practice. The best courses will provide extensive lab time so that you can learn and practice in real-world scenarios while building problem-solving skills.

Capture the Flag (CTF) exercises help build the technical skills required for cyber security. In addition to labs and the cyber range, CTFs are a great way to hone your analytical thinking skills while gaining technical experience. EC-Council’s Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) course features all the components needed to learn essential cybersecurity skills.

Embarking on Your Cybersecurity Certification Journey

The C|CT program balances teaching and practical experience. You’ll learn about the critical issues cybersecurity pros are dealing with right now and then see how they play out in EC-Council’s Cyber Range. As the course covers information security and network principles, the Cyber Range allows you to address real-world threats and attacks.

With 85 hands-on labs in the Cyber Range and CTF-style exercise, the C|CT course teaches cybersecurity skills in ways other certifications don’t. You’ll learn fundamental concepts like data security controls, cryptography and public key infrastructure, virtualization, cloud computing, and the threats surrounding them. Using the network assessment techniques and tools that the pros use, the C|CT certification gives you the head start you need to stand out from others starting a cybersecurity career.

How Do You Apply for the C|CT Course?

To apply for the Certified Cybersecurity Technician course, you can leverage EC-Council’s C|CT Scholarship for career starters. Through this initiative, EC-Council aims to make the C|CT course more accessible to a broader spectrum of individuals and encourage talent development in cybersecurity. With this partial cybersecurity scholarship, you may access all of the course materials at no cost, with the exception of a minimal fee for technology and proctoring of exams. Learn more about the scholarship here.