By Christopher Nelson MBA, CISSP, PMP, ITIL Expert CSPO.

As cyber and data breaches continue to grow exponentially, corporations continue to depend on cybersecurity professionals to detect threats and protect sensitive data. Experts predict that the demand for cybersecurity specialist will continue to grow as the industry is opening many opportunities for beginners and professionals who want to enter this exciting field.

Careers in cybersecurity may be demanding, but at the same time satisfying. The primary objective is to safeguard an organization’s critical data from being lost or damaged by an attack.

Currently there are billions of devices connected to the internet that are changing the way we work and live. Gartner, the global research firm estimates that there are over 3.8 billion devices connected to the internet. These range from heart monitors, door locks, refrigerators to phones, computers, tablets and servers.

Although the career paths in cybersecurity differ with each person, research indicates that there are key hard and soft skills which support this career choice.

For positions in cybersecurity, candidates are required to have the following soft skills:
• Attention to detail.
• Creative and technical problem solving.
• Peaceful disposition in times of trouble.
• Ability to be a team player.
• Desire for additional skills and information.
• Be an enthusiastic listener.
• Good verbal and written communication.
• A curious and investigative mind.

Hard skills required include the following:
• Understand the basics of programing or scripting language.
• Knowledge of computers.
• The ability to discuss technical topics in plain words.
• Learn a cybersecurity sub-category and become a specialist.
• Be skilled in the tools used for attacks and security frameworks.
• Investigative, regulatory and evidence gathering techniques.

There are many career paths to explore, and the roles identified are some of the best career options:

• Security Engineer
• Consultant and Business Owner
• Developer and Pentester
• CISO/CISSP
• Security Analyst
• Cybersecurity Project Manager
• Cybersecurity Lawyer
• Security Architect
• Cybersecurity Sales

Many people who work in the industry have a job that is secure as compared to other industries. This is because employment opportunities for information security analysts will grow by an amazing 28 percent from 2016 to 2026 and experts believe that with threats increasing every day, there may be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally by 2021.

The benefit of learning or switching to a career in cybersecurity is that people from similar fields who are already proficient in technology and those with a non-technical background can transition if they build on their hard or soft skills.

The question is which cybersecurity certification and path is best for you?

There is no clear choice when selecting a career path or certification and everyone’s journey will be different, but three factors should be taken into consideration:

• Which skills and qualifications that you currently hold can be transitioned to cyber security?

• At what level are you in your current career? Is it Entry, Mid – Senior or Executive?

• What are you enthusiastic about or hoping to accomplish?

This means that if you have skills that can be transitioned such as investigative, analytical, project management or regulatory, then the change could be easier. Those with no technical or cybersecurity experience could explore Security+ or Network+ which will provide a more in-depth view of cybersecurity.

Before an individual makes that final decision to get into the industry, it is important to note that whereas most organizations have identified information security as an important risk to the success of their business, it also does not guarantee that it is their primary focus. It is a competitive industry with incredibly talented people who demonstrate new ways to protect organizations.

At the end of the day, your experience is the number one quality that organizations are looking for and this does not mean you must have 5 to 10 years of cybersecurity experience. It means bringing 100% effort to work every day, doing it well and getting the challenging work done.