Career Research

Information Security Analyst

I am interested in the cybersecurity industry as I have been in this pathway throughout all of highschool so I decided to look into Information Security Analyst. This is an entry level job in the field of cybersecurity that provides a well-rounded experience for a first job in this sector of IT. The responsibilities of this job include:

  • Monitoring network breaches
  • Investigating, documenting, and reporting security breaches
  • Performing compliance control testing
  • Researching IT security trends
  • Helping computer users with security products and procedures
  • Developing strategies to help their organization remain secure

To be in a position of this kind, it requires a multitude of skills the top five of which includes:

  1. Security Management Framework
  2. Operating Systems Vulnerabilities
  3. Network Infastructure
  4. Client-facing Skills
  5. Business Acumen

As for the educational background to become an Informational Security Analyst, there are different paths that one can take. The more common approach is to get a bachelor's degree in computer science or informational technology or even a related field like math or engineering. That being said, some workers can find their way into this field by having a high school diploma along with relevant industry certifications and training. As for the certifications, some of the ones employers look for are the Certified Information Systems Security Professional(CISSP) and the CompTia Security+ certificates.

Last but not least, there is a lot of potential future outlook on a job like this. The median annual salary for an Information Security Analyst in 2020 was around $103,590 with the lowest 10% earning $60,060 and the highest 10% earning $163,300. This shows there is a lot of room for raises in this job and flexibility with wages. As for job outlook, it is projected for this job to grow at an astounding 33% from 2020 to 2030 which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Around 16,300 openings are projected to open for information security analysts each year over the coming decade showing that there is a high demand for this occupation.