Upskilling your Career in Cyber Security: Your Ultimate Guide

Introduction

The digital data space is brimming with both threats and opportunities. Interestingly, these emerging advanced threats are fuelling opportunities for qualified cybersecurity professionals who can create a formidable cyber defense. If we check the numbers, the domain of cybersecurity is expected to grow by 20% in 2025. Cybersecurity is an ever-flourishing domain and with cutting-edge technologies like AI on the scene, your career in cybersecurity needs continuous upskilling.
Here is a curated guide on how to upskill your cybersecurity career that will empower you to secure high-paying cyber security jobs. Don’t let an opportunity slip and know in detail what it takes to get job-ready in 2024. Keep scrolling, if you aim to excel in this rapidly growing promising domain.

Significance of upskilling your career in cyber security

Cybersecurity covers a broad umbrella, encompassing a diverse range of skills and techniques. As a budding cybersecurity professional, you have to go through continuous upskilling to master advanced cybersecurity skills.
Also, as mentioned above, cybersecurity is a fast-evolving domain. The rise of AI-backed sophisticated cyber threats makes it imperative for cybersecurity professionals to continuously enhance their know-how to outsmart the threat actors. Thus, one of the major advantages of cybersecurity upskilling is that it empowers you with cutting-edge security to tackle the latest threats.
As you acquire new skills and certifications, your resume unfolds better career opportunities and desirable remuneration. So, start upskilling to impress the hiring team at the very first meet.

Benefits of upskilling

• Expertise in advanced cybersecurity skills
• Unlocks the opportunity to apply for senior cybersecurity job roles
• Higher pay package
• Greater job security
• Sustainable career

Identifying the areas of upskilling

Now the concern is how to get started with upskilling and which areas demand the maximum focus. See, cybersecurity is a vast spectrum with several subsets and there are certain core skills that you should master to level up.

Starter Guide:

Let's start with the beginner's guide for freshers to kick-start a promising avenue in cybersecurity. For freshers, 2024 holds amazing prospects in elevating their career to the next level.
A beginner in cybersecurity should gather know-how in the following to create a solid base in cybersecurity:

1. Networking & programming fundamentals
2. Linux commands
3. Cybersecurity fundamentals
4. Basics of ethical hacking

Cybersecurity upskilling guide:

After completing the basics, cybersecurity professionals should take up mid-level and advanced-level cybersecurity certificate programs. These programs will help you to attain more advanced security skills to take on more complicated cyber threats. Here is a list of skills that you should master to upskill in cybersecurity:

Penetration Testing

A part of white-hat ethical hacking, penetration testing aims to detect existing vulnerabilities in a system through a simulated attack. There are different forms of penetration testing:
• Web application penetration testing
• Mobile application penetration testing
• OT penetration testing



Cloud Security

As the name suggests, this skill equips you with the know-how to test and defend a cloud security infrastructure.


IoT Security

IoT Security focuses on creating a secured space for IoT devices as well as their connected networks.


Cyber Forensics

Cyber Forensics is a specialised subset of cybersecurity. Cyber forensic experts are trained to gather evidence of digital crimes, say, a massive data breach.


Gen AI-powered Cybersecurity

Cyber criminals are fast adopting the futuristic power of AI to launch highly sophisticated cyber attacks. Thus, part of your upskilling roster should also cover high-end AI technologies to detect and combat the cutting-edge AI-powered cyber attacks.

Global Cyber Security certifications

Global cybersecurity certifications always render a higher competitive edge to your cybersecurity resume. Acknowledged globally, these certifications are offered by a bunch of regulatory bodies such as EC-Council, CompTIA, ISACA, and so on. Here is a list of major global cybersecurity certifications that will boost your cyber security career path.

Top EC-Council Certifications

Some of the main EC-Council-accredited cybersecurity certifications are:

CEHv12 (Certification in Ethical Hacking): It is the most in-demand certification for beginner-level ethical hackers.
C|PENT (Certification in Penetration Testing): You can attempt the C|PENT Certification after completing the pentesting program.
C|HFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator): Upscale your expertise in digital forensics to match global requirements.
C|CSE (Certified Cloud Security Engineer): Master cloud security in major cloud programs like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms.

Top CompTIA Certifications

Some of the main CompTIA-accredited cybersecurity certifications are:

Network+: This prestigious vendor-neutral global certification enables cybersecurity professionals to work with multiple networks. Obtaining this certification validates your expertise in network cabling, troubleshooting, and network configuration.
Security+: This is another vendor-neutral Certification that validates your expertise in network security, operations & incident response, security risk management, threat identification, and mitigation.

Top ISACA Certifications

Some of the main ISACA-accredited cybersecurity certifications are:

CISA: This globally recognized certification is for security professionals in the Info-sec audit domain.
CISM: One of the most in-demand global certifications for InfoSec professionals who deal with enterprise information security design, management, monitoring, and implementation.

Soft skills:

Besides technical expertise, soft skills remain paramount in the cybersecurity landscape of 2024 and beyond.
Succeeding in this field demands proficiency in especially two critical dimensions:

• translating intricate technical concepts into layman's terms for non-technical individuals
• facilitating enhanced team collaboration by fostering clear communication among professionals

Participate in cybersecurity projects

Upskilling is a never-ending process in a dynamic domain like cybersecurity. To bolster your expertise, consider engaging in different levels of live projects through cybersecurity internships, such as:

• Keylogger
• Packet sniffer
• SQL injection
• Locating vulnerabilities in Android applications.
• SQL vulnerability assessment
• 2FA Bypass through Burp Suite
• Bug Bounty projects

Join a credible cyber security certification course that offers the opportunity to participate in live projects to develop practical cybersecurity skills.

Is cyber security high-paying?

Undoubtedly, cybersecurity stands out as a lucrative field. In India, cybersecurity interns typically earn around INR 20,000 per month; seasoned professionals with 7-8 years of experience command annual salaries ranging from 15 to 30 lakhs, depending on the employer and location.
Popular job roles for mid-level and senior cybersecurity professionals:

Mid-level
• Penetration Tester
• Security Engineer
• SOC Analyst Level II
• Digital Forensics Expert
• Cloud Security Engineer

Senior-Level
• Cybersecurity Architect
• SOC Analyst Level III
• Senior Penetration Engineer

Conclusion

The importance of upskilling in cybersecurity cannot be denied, especially with the dawn of AI & ML threats. Upskilling not only enhances a professional’s capabilities but also empowers teams to detect and mitigate complicated threats effectively.