It’s rare to learn of a ransomware hack that has resulted in a data breach or a devastating impact on businesses and people across all industries. Cyberattacks are constantly becoming more sophisticated, focusing on everything from personal health records to credit card information.
A cybersecurity professional’s job is to defend against attacks by analyzing vulnerabilities and taking preventative measures. To accomplish this, they need certain skills, both non-technical and technical.
A cybersecurity specialist must be familiar with different platforms and computer systems to stay current with newest hacking techniques. This includes knowledge of programming languages, forensic investigation techniques and specific tools (e.g. for example, those used for penetration testing and digital forensics). For a cybersecurity analyst, for instance must know how IoT devices are connected to the Internet and are susceptible to hacking.
It is essential that cybersecurity professionals are able to detect and assess risk in their organization. It’s impossible to secure yourself from every threat, as hackers can use an endless variety of ways to cause problems. For instance security professionals should know that passwords should be lengthy, complex and comprise a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. It is also important to note that passwords should not contain personal information like birthdays or a family member’s name.
In order to be a successful cybersecurity expert, it’s essential to feel empathy for both the victims of cyberattacks and those who commit it. This helps them understand what hackers think, which will help them develop more effective defenses.