The Ultimate Guide to Learning IT Security

So, you’ve got your heart set on a career in IT security but don’t know where to start or how to get there. Firstly, congratulations on making one of the best career decisions, with IT security being one of the most sought after professions in the UK.

Almost half of all UK businesses reported a breach or attack in the past year, and with it taking on average 120 days for a business to notice a breach; it’s vital that all measures are put in place to prevent information getting into the wrong hands.

With an expected 100,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs expected in the Uk by 2022; employers are in need of skilled workers in this field more than ever. As part of the GDPR, companies are also now required to put measures in place to protect any and all customer data, so the need for workers skilled in data protection is higher than ever before in the UK.

Not only is IT Security one of the most secure when it comes to job security and boasts high demand across the UK; it’s also an easy industry to access no matter your background. It’s very possible to enter this field without a degree, which is rare for a profession where senior analysts have salaries that can exceed £100,000.

While the typical pathway into this sector does vary, many entry-level IT security professionals are Certified in their chosen field, which is a short course or level 1-2 training which develops the skills needed for the workforce. Some positions, such as Digital Forensic professionals, tend to have much higher qualifications; including a Bachelor’s Degree in an area such as Computer Science or Information Technology.

Typically, there are four pathways to learning IT security in the UK. These include:

Now that you know what options are available to you; let’s look into each in a bit more detail to find the option that aligns with your career goals.

The next step once you’ve determined the best pathway for you to a career in IT security? Time to work out what area of this field you want to specialise in. Like many careers in IT, there’s dozens of career opportunities available, depending on where you passions lie. There are 5 distinct branches of IT security which offer their own challenges and rewards as well as careers. These are:

Depending on which area of IT security appeals to you the most, there’s a career path to suit that’s specialised in that field. Based on the above 5 areas of IT security, let’s look at these jobs in more detail and what qualifications are required to get into this area.

This interesting job requires you to act like a digital investigator and often works with law enforcement to assist with cyber crimes. Everyone leaves a footprint, even online. It’s the job of digital forensic analysts to examine traces left behind by hackers and find evidence to track down the culprits.

Qualification: Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or Information Technology

A Certified Ethical Hacker who’s job is involved in searching from possible weaknesses in a company’s systems and existing security measures. In this role, you’ll need to become the hacker, identifying any vulnerabilities and preventing any malicious attacks. Ethical hackers conduct their jobs in an ethical, legitimate way and are often hired by companies to stay on top of attacks before they can occur.

Qualification: Certificate in Ethical Hacking for entry-level positions

Secure web systems engineers work with IT specialists to develop a safe and secure website for users This area is primarily focused on preventing hackers and installing security measures to protect customer data, such as credit card information. In this role, you work with web developers and designers to integrate the right IT security systems into the design and set up of websites and applications. Qualification: Certificate in Web Engineering for entry level positions

An IT security auditor is involved with analysing and evaluating how secure a company’s security measures are, and determining possible points of weakness or vulnerabilities. This is typically done manually, or by setting up a system that identifies when a threat or bug occurs which weakens a business’ security. Security auditors also ensure that company’s have put enough measures in place that align with any existing regulations or laws that are there to protect user’s data and information.

Qualification: Certificate in IT Auditing for entry-level positions

Penetration Testing Engineers work very closely to Ethical Hackers, staying on top of possible attacks by identifying weaknesses before the wrong people do. Also known as a ‘Pen- Test’, professionals in this area evaluate the overall strength of the existing systems in place, and develop ways of improving them. Engineers in this field work with other IT security teams to make strategic decisions on the security systems.

Qualification: Certificate in Penetration Testing for entry-level positions

While all IT courses are different, the basic IT skills you’ll learn in a course will be very similar. Most IT careers use the same basic skill set so it’s important you understand exactly what you’ll be learning.

IT security requires a working knowledge of IT systems and operations. One thing worth noting, is developing the ability to differentiate between the IT security programs that exist. Have you heard of Cicso? Or maybe Mile 2 or CompTIA? It may seem confusing, but with many IT Security qualifications that run these certifications, it’s important information to know.