7. Identify skills required for a career in cyber security (AC 2.1)

A strong technical knowledge base This can be broken down into two areas. Practical and conceptual technical knowledge. Practical example of technical knowledge can be to know how to exactly conduct a penetration test, or install firewall. Conceptual technical knowledge is more of a general understanding of how it all works and be able to quickly figure out how a new concept works. Here are some types that you'll most certainly need as cyber professional: Coding: You won't need to be a master programmer to work in cyber, but basic understanding of coding or scripting is essential. At the very least, you'll need to understand the language, but not necessarily be able to write in the language. You'll need to know how an attacker is using exploit through HTML or Javascript. For scripting/automating work, a good understanding of Python will make your life a lot easier. Networking: You will need a thorough understanding of the networking. Business use all different kinds of networks in their day-to-day operations. Know what and how the 7 layers of OSI Model network layers work. Learn as much as you can about networking. You can't defend something you don't understand. Applications: There's countless number of applications you will come across your cyber career. Some are widely used, by millions, some lesser known but equally as valuable. Learn all the ones that are specific to your career path. Learn the intricacies, learn how to configure them and have good understanding of how they work. Systems: Thankfully there isn't as many systems as there are apps, however there's still to many to know them all. If you have at least basic understanding of the few major ones: Windows, MacOs, Linux, Android, you will find it easier to build on top of this. Keep in mind that every systems has countless versions, and every update changes things around. Experiment with operating systems through Virtual Machines, built labs, use sites like Tryhackme.com to test your knowledge. Critical thinking and troubleshooting Critical thinking is critical. Strong technical knowledge isn't always enough in cyber. Knowing how to approach problems is just as important as knowing how to solve them. You have to be analytical in order to process information well and then systematically apply the solution. Critical thinking is about thinking about problems deeply, observing, and then using past experience and reflection to solve problems. An understanding of hacking You'll need to think like a hacker in order to prevent hackers from attacking your organisation. Many infamous hackers went straight and started a white hat hacker careers. You can't defend what you don't understand. Diverse outside experience Knowledge of psychology, project management, marketing, and public relations. Employers will value these skill highly as it plays a major part in cyber security. Attention to detail As cyber professional you might be tasked with finding discrepancies in a log file, such as this. You will need to sift through what looks like a big jumble of letters and numbers. Finding what you're looking for can be the deciding factor for protecting your organisation against an attack. Communication is key You will need to know how to communicate with non-technical people as well as IT professionals. You will need to be able to describe complex cyber concepts in an easy to understand language. You might be tasked with talking to users, other departments, or managers. Communications plays a major part in any job, but especially in cyber because many people find IT very confusing and intimidating. A desire to learn The world of cyber is constantly evolving. A quick look at AI and you'll see how much have changed in the past few years. If you want to stay ahead of the competition and more importantly, attackers, you will need to keep up with current industry trends like the AI worm. That'll be a fun adversary. Always be learning new things, always be updating old knowledge.