How Cybersecurity Professionals Use Technology to Build Their Expertise

Digital devices such as smartphones and tablets have become mainstream commodities. While many people feel safe storing their personal information on these devices, there are still many dangers lurking on the internet, and it’s easy to be a victim of a scam if you let your guard down.

In addition to these dangerous threats from hackers and scammers, the internet can sometimes harbor computer programs loaded with viruses that are harmful to technological devices. All schools, businesses, and individuals that regularly use this infrastructure have to be proactive in preventing these cyber threats.

The role of a cybersecurity professional is the prevention of data breaches, protection of networks, IT infrastructure and computer devices. It also involves the monitoring and detection of cyberattacks and the strategic development of solutions.

What Cybersecurity Professionals are Responsible For

It is important for cybersecurity professionals to regularly educate themselves on the latest threats to maximize their chances of effectively dealing with them. They also have to regularly participate in online cyber security programs for them to improve their ability to quickly deal with threats. Some of the main responsibilities of cybersecurity personnel in organizations include the following:

• The monitoring of networks and the performance of applications on those networks to observe irregular activities in real-time
• Periodically carrying out audits to make sure all cybersecurity practices carried out in that organization is in line with the industry standard
• Develop strategies to prevent cyberattacks
• Working closely with IT operations staff to develop disaster recovery plans
• Educate employees on the importance of being cybersecurity conscious.
• Install and regularly update the antivirus programs on computers.

How Cybersecurity Professionals Develop Their Expertise

To develop their expertise, cybersecurity professionals take online courses to understand the subdisciplines of the field and know how to use the technology that they will be operating.

They also learn about firewalls, malware, antivirus programs and software applications until they have a solid understanding and experience in managing operating systems like Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Furthermore, they take time to improve their machine language programming skills by frequently practising how to code in Java, Python, and C++.

It is noteworthy that most organizations make relevant certifications a requirement for employing cybersecurity personnel since certifications are generally an indicator of a professional’s level of expertise and education. Some important certifications that can improve cybersecurity knowledge are:

• A certified information security auditor
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner
• Certified information systems security professional
• Offensive security certified professional
• Certified Information Security Manager
• GIAC certified incident handler
• CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner
• Information systems security management professional

Consistently combining the education from the courses needed to obtain these certifications with industry experience helps cybersecurity pros build their expertise in the field.

To further improve, cybersecurity personnel master the art of examining the security setup of companies or organizations to assess their vulnerability. Doing this strengthens their ability to coordinate and organize assessments on network, web application, wireless security, technical issues, social engineering and systems vulnerability is of utmost importance. They also improve their skill set by learning how to manage cybersecurity incidents and making sure that the solutions provided are effective.

Cybersecurity professionals need to be able to find the answers to the technical questions that come up on the job and have solid diagnostic and analytical skills. The incidents they face over time will give them a solid understanding of the vulnerabilities of the internet, and make them aware of the guidelines and techniques used to keep a network safe from threats.

The security features used to protect devices against hackers can be bypassed if the hackers are able to persuade people on a network to click unsafe links, give them their login credentials, or otherwise provide access to the network infrastructure. Professionals in this field also learn how to educate those that have little to no background in cybersecurity so they can understand and learn how to further protect themselves from scams and hackers on the internet.

Endnote

Cybersecurity professionals improve in their field by gaining relevant knowledge and skills before combining them with industry experience. This puts them in a position to deliver results for any organization they work for. They also keep themselves updated on the latest security threats and the strategies required to take them on. In addition to learning a wide range of online cyber security programs, they work on the soft skills necessary to effectively communicate technical subjects to people unfamiliar with the field.

Featured image: FLY:D, Unsplash.