This is a great time to jump-start a career in cybersecurity or take your existing career to the next level. To help you on your journey, we’ve rounded up some information on the highest-paying cybersecurity jobs.
Cybersecurity skills are often in high demand as technology companies have started utilizing resources to create safe information storage systems. Those in the cybersecurity field help tech companies ensure their users and employees don’t have to worry about data breaches or cyberattacks.
If you’re interested in beginning a position that allows you to use your knowledge to protect important digital data, looking over some lucrative cybersecurity jobs can help you find a role that matches your career goals and requirements.
What is a cybersecurity job?
A cybersecurity job is a role that allows you to protect online data and information from hackers and other security threats.
Over the last 20 years, people across the globe have started relying on technology more throughout their daily lives. From content management systems to e-readers and phones, smart devices and software have become progressively more prominent. Most of the public uses platforms like social media applications and mobile devices that store their personal data within security systems.
With this popularization, users have become more interested in how companies are handling and accessing their private information.
Companies often utilize extensive resources to protect consumer data. Cybersecurity is now a large and lucrative industry with the potential for enormous growth over the coming years. While there are various roles to choose from within the industry, cybersecurity positions often pay six figures or more because of the industry’s importance.
If you’re interested in joining the field, you may want to narrow your search by considering the top-paying roles.
Things you should know about cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field that focuses on protecting computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, cyber threats, and malicious activities.
- Cybersecurity professionals, such as cybersecurity engineers, analysts, and architects, play a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring the integrity and availability of computer networks.
- Data security is a fundamental aspect of cyber security. It involves implementing measures to protect confidential and valuable data from unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
- Computer networks, which serve as the backbone of modern communication and information exchange, are prime targets for cyber-attacks.
- Cybersecurity professionals constantly monitor and analyze network traffic and system logs to detect any suspicious activities or potential security breaches. They use advanced security tools and technologies to identify and respond to security incidents promptly.
- Cybersecurity engineers play a significant role in developing and implementing secure software systems and applications. They incorporate security features and best practices into the software development lifecycle to minimize vulnerabilities and ensure the resilience of the applications against cyber threats.
- Cybersecurity analysts conduct in-depth analyses of security logs, network traffic, and other data sources to identify patterns, detect potential threats, and assess the overall security posture of an organization. Their findings help in improving security measures and addressing any vulnerabilities.
- Cybersecurity architects are responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive security frameworks and strategies for organizations. They consider various factors, such as business requirements, regulatory compliance, and emerging threats, to create robust and resilient security architectures.
- With the increasing sophistication and complexity of cyber threats, continuous learning and professional development are crucial for cyber security professionals. They must stay updated with the latest security trends, technologies, and attack vectors to effectively defend against evolving threats.
10 highest-paying cybersecurity jobs
Network security engineer
Network security engineers maintain a private network’s safety by planning, designing, optimizing and auditing network systems. They continually troubleshoot processes to improve network efficiency and protect information from bugs and breaches.
Their work serves to monitor existing dangers and rid systems of these threats. A large part of a network security engineer’s work is ensuring a network’s sustainability so that it can rebound from mishaps like cyberattacks.
National average salary: $110,713 per year
Identity manager
Identity managers create on-site and cloud network environments that are safe for both customers and employees to use. Their goal is to provide solutions that manage information effectively and prevent unauthorized access to identifying information.
In some cases, identity managers work with developers to create systems that accurately verify a user’s identity when they try to access platforms. Identity management is an essential and growing field, as many technology users are interested in knowing how companies store, access and share their personal information.
National average salary: $121,515 per year
Cloud engineer
Cloud engineers work side by side with other engineers to identify efficient cloud-based security solutions for different companies. They plan, design and develop cloud-based applications to ensure they comply with security guidelines. Additionally, they debug such platforms to optimize them for success.
Cloud engineers are problem solvers, software developers and system engineers.
National average salary: $122,159 per year
Penetration tester
Penetration testers simulate attempted breaches on a company’s computers and network security systems. Their work helps companies identify security vulnerabilities and weaknesses that may otherwise go unnoticed in order to prevent potential breaches.
Penetration testers can act as freelance consultants for different clients or as part of an in-house cybersecurity team for a larger company.
National average salary: $123,476 per year
Application security engineer
Application security engineers ensure that a company’s technological and software products safely and securely store information. They work closely with developers and product managers to plan, facilitate and support security releases.
Application security managers also perform threat modeling tests, security reviews and dynamic tests that allow them to understand potential vulnerabilities within products. From here, they use that information to optimize a given product’s efficacy.
National average salary: $128,765 per year
Cybersecurity manager
A cybersecurity manager’s job is one of the highest-paying in the industry. Their role is to protect the organization’s information systems, identify threats to those systems, and respond to those threats and cyberattacks.
It is also the cybersecurity manager’s responsibility to develop a plan the organization can implement in the event of a cyberattack.
The person in this position also implements procedures to safeguard the company’s computer and database infrastructures and may be required to train employees on these security measures. Hence, they know how to operate their devices securely. As this is a management-level position, the individual in this role may oversee other security professionals.
National average salary: $128,870 per year
Software architect
Software architects are innovative leaders within companies who develop and launch new software or program features. They typically oversee and provide guidance to a team of programmers who design websites, programs or products.
In addition, software architects are responsible for finding solutions to common challenges throughout the product development process. They’re often experts in software coding and design, which helps them streamline potential products for customer experiences.
National average salary: $135,511 per year
Cybersecurity engineer
Sometimes known as an information security engineer, a cybersecurity engineer identifies and remediates vulnerabilities and threats in a company’s computer systems and network. The cybersecurity engineer implements security procedures to safeguard corporate data in the event of a cyberattack.
This individual collaborates with the organization’s IT team members, reporting directly to upper management.
National average salary: $149,500 per year
Director of Information Security
Like the CISO, the director of information security is a senior-level role within an enterprise’s information security function. It plays a key role in ensuring the security of the company’s information assets. The information security director manages the everyday operations of the company’s information security program, including performing risk assessments, deploying and maintaining security controls, and responding to cybersecurity incidents.
Directors of information security design strategies for implementing effective technological security systems. They work in a similar capacity to CIOs, managing and overseeing many aspects of cybersecurity work within larger companies.
Directors of information security often establish the infrastructure for security policies, set team goals and implement programming for vulnerability discovery in products. They are sometimes also responsible for hiring, reviewing and training employees to ensure teams are functioning as efficiently as possible.
National average salary: $187,500 per year
Chief Information Security Officer
This is probably the highest-paying cybersecurity job there is. The chief information security officer (CISO) oversees a company’s entire security operation to ensure critical data is protected from internal and external threats. This C-suite exec implements policies and procedures to avoid these security threats and reduce the risks of a data breach.
They also enable and advance the business’s goals.
National average salary: $239,136 per year
Different types of cybersecurity threats
Keeping up with new technologies, security trends and threat intelligence is a challenging task. It is necessary in order to protect information and other assets from cyber threats, which take many forms.
Types of cyber threats include:
- Malware is a form of malicious software in which any file or program can be used to harm a computer user. Different types of malware include worms, viruses, Trojans and spyware.
- Ransomware is another type of malware that involves an attacker locking the victim’s computer system files — typically through encryption — and demanding a payment to decrypt and unlock them.
- Social engineering is an attack that relies on human interaction. It tricks users into breaking security procedures to gain sensitive information that is typically protected.
- Phishing is a form of social engineering where fraudulent email or text messages that resemble those from reputable or known sources are sent. Often random attacks, these messages intend to steal sensitive data, such as credit card or login information.
- Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are those in which multiple systems disrupt the traffic of a targeted system, such as a server, website or other network resource. By flooding the target with messages, connection requests or packets, the attackers can slow the system or crash it, preventing legitimate traffic from using it.
- Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are prolonged targeted attacks in which an attacker infiltrates a network and remains undetected for long periods of time with the aim to steal data.
- Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are eavesdropping attacks that involve an attacker intercepting and relaying messages between two parties who believe they are communicating with each other.
Other common attacks include botnets, drive-by-download attacks, exploit kits, malvertising, vishing, credential stuffing attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, SQL injection attacks, business email compromise (BEC) and zero-day exploits.
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