Top 5 Most In-Demand Cybersecurity Jobs in 2021
Over the last year, 40% of businesses and 25% of charities in the UK have reported a cybersecurity breach or attack (Gov.uk). With the number of security breaches steadily increasing every year, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has skyrocketed. Over the last decade, businesses have become increasingly dependent on technology and in turn, cybersecurity attacks have become a prevalent issue. As technology and cybersecurity measures advance, cybercriminals adapt, coming up with more sophisticated hacking techniques to counteract cybersecurity measures. The effects of COVID-19 has only added to the threat of a cybersecurity breach. Increased remote working not only makes it more difficult for companies to implement cybersecurity measures but also slows down workflow increasing the time it takes to respond to attempted and successful cyber-attacks.
The demand for cybersecurity professionals is larger now than ever, so why not consider a career in cybersecurity? Here are our Top 5 Most In-Demand Cybersecurity Jobs in 2021 detailing information about what the jobs involve and average salaries. See which cybersecurity job best suits you!
Cybersecurity Engineer
A Cybersecurity engineers’ role can be positioned into 3 main areas; to monitor, rectify and engineer IT systems within a company/organisation. They monitor software to identify threats and vulnerabilities that may infiltrate the company’s systems. They then use their skills to develop a solution to the vulnerabilities and threats and lastly, build technologies to keep the company’s systems/software safe.
A cybersecurity engineers’ role can be either proactive or reactive. Proactive cybersecurity involves seeking out and correcting potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited by cybercriminals. Proactive cybersecurity measures can involve ethical hacking, threat hunting, and proactive network and endpoint monitoring.
By contrast, reactive cybersecurity involves strategies on how to overcome security issues after they have been detected to reduce damage and contain the data breach. Reactive cybersecurity measures include firewalls, spam filters and ad blockers.
Salary
The average salary for a cybersecurity engineer in the UK is £50,000. However, entry-level positions start at £39,000 while high-level positions can make up to £70,000 per year. (uk.talent.com).
Ethical Hacker
If you like problem-solving and stepping into the mind of a cybercriminal sounds interesting, then ethical hacking is the career for you! Ethical hackers use authorised methods to try and gain access into a company’s computer systems to uncover vulnerabilities and prevent unauthorised digital attacks by cybercriminals. So if you like, they’re the legal version of a cybercriminal!
Ethical hackers often work in phases. The first being reconnaissance being gathering information about the company’s system. This involves finding out about how the organisation functions and gathering valuable information such as passwords, IP addresses, and domain names. The ethical hacker will then begin the scanning phase, where they will use tools to expose any vulnerabilities. They will then try to gain access by exploiting those vulnerabilities and maintain access using software such as Metasploit to launch attacks on the company’s networks. The next phase is to cover their tracks by clearing system information to bypass existing security measures. Lastly, the ethical hacker will compile a report detailing the systems performance, vulnerabilities, and success of their hack.
Salary
Glassdoor reports an ethical hackers’ average salary as £50,320, with a low-level salary of £28,000 and a high-level salary of £92,000.
Cybersecurity Analyst
A cybersecurity analyst is tasked with monitoring the network, identifying vulnerabilities and actual security threats and sometimes putting measures in place to resolve vulnerabilities. This involves completing regular audits to identify weaknesses in security protocols and company systems, anticipating and responding to security incidents and alerts, training colleagues in cybersecurity awareness (such as password complexity and data loss mitigation), and examining relationships with outside security vendors.
As a front-line cybersecurity role, cybersecurity analysts play an important part in an organisation’s security efforts. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, the demand for cybersecurity analysts is projected to increase.
Salary
Salaries vary between £25,000-£70,000+. With starting salaries ranging between £25,000-£35,000, senior salaries between £35,000 and £60,000 and higher-level cybersecurity analysts earning £70,000+ (Prospects).
Cybersecurity Consultant
In the same way that a consultant provides professional advice to a business or organisation, a cybersecurity consultant provides professional cybersecurity advice to businesses and organisations. However, that’s not all they do. Cybersecurity consultants can also be involved in other areas such as designing IT security infrastructure, implementing those new infrastructures, and training employees on cybersecurity measures.
Unlike other cybersecurity jobs, cybersecurity consultants are usually outsourced by a company. Therefore, most cybersecurity consultants are self-employed or work for companies that specifically provide cybersecurity professionals and services to businesses such as Crowdstrike.
Salary
The average salary for a cybersecurity consultant in the UK is £55,000. Entry-level positions start at £40,000 and the most experienced cybersecurity consultants can make up to £75,000 per year (uk.talent.com).
Cybersecurity Manager
Cybersecurity managers monitor and organisations software and hardware developments and are responsible for managing a company’s cybersecurity team to make sure their systems remain secure. Although the role of a cybersecurity manager may vary depending on the size of the company, day-to-day duties can involve performing audits on existing security software and hardware, developing and testing cybersecurity strategies, training employees in cybersecurity awareness, and upgrading software and maintaining hardware systems.
A cybersecurity manager needs ample experience in a range of areas in order to effectively manage a security team. In addition, the role is well suited to those who are natural leaders and are also able to work well amongst a team.
Salary
Cybersecurity managers are one of the highest-paid cybersecurity roles with an average salary of £66,000. Lower level cybersecurity managers can expect an annual salary of £47,000, while the most experienced managers can make up to £94,000 per year (Glassdoor).
