What Is A Cyber Security Analyst? A Brief Introduction To The People Who Keep Your Company IT Safe

We live in a world today where the internet and technology is ever more central to our lives, both at work and at home. The line between work and home-life is blurring for many, and it has become almost the norm to take work home to finish or to work from home for a certain part of the week. No longer tied to a desktop computer in the office, workers can make use of an array of devices to work on including smart-phones, tablets, laptops and memory sticks to transfer data and files. Combine all this with the increasing amount of personal and sensitive data related to clients and the company itself, and you can see why businesses need to exert the maximum protection and security possible to avoid costly mishaps. In recent years, cyber security analyst has become one of the most sought-after jobs in IT.

Demand for information security in the US is currently outstripping supply and demand and is still rising more than three times faster than for other IT jobs. Maybe because companies appreciate how much is at stake if their network is compromised – both in terms of money and reputation if sensitive data gets into the wrong hands. Smart companies realise that hackers and cyber-criminals are using increasingly sophisticated, co-ordinated methods to attack networks. They also appreciate that they need to understand threats from within their own network and that it is not enough to seek only known threats. Without this constant monitoring and analysis then businesses, public organisations and even governments are vulnerable to harmful attacks on their websites and networks.

The cyber security analyst is central to this process of protecting websites and networks from cyber threats which may include malware, denial of service attacks and viruses. Frequently with a background as a network or systems administrator they have a breadth of knowledge of multiple systems which enables them to perform their job effectively. A highly developed expertise and knowledge of databases, networks, hardware, firewalls and encryption is required. Communication and collaboration skills are also integral to the job as well as being able to work in a team environment. It is an exciting and dynamic role which involves constantly patrolling the network and ‘patching’ any security weaknesses they may find.

Many companies will employ in-house cyber security analysts to protect their IT systems but other organisations offer an external service whereby they can set up, maintain and manage network security for another company.

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