Cybercrime has surged in the last few years, paving the way for rewarding cybersecurity careers. Rapid technological advancements increase the threat ratio to organisations, driving a growing demand for cybersecurity jobs.
Current State of Cybersecurity Threats
Ensuring complete safety is challenging, with cybercrimes increasing across industries. Between 2021 and 2023, there has been a notable increase in cyber risks within the government, education, and other sectors. As per IBM data breach report, the global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years. To secure your digital assets effectively, it is crucial to understand these threats, from Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks to phishing to Internet of Things based attacks, data breaches, supply chain attacks, and many more, that have emerged as significant threats disrupting industries globally. Not only do they affect an organisation’s finances, but they damage its reputation or extend to legal consequences.
The Booming Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields, with an expected growth of 31% in cybersecurity jobs through 2029. With 3.5 million job vacancies and a 0% unemployment rate in cybersecurity.
The need to safeguard confidential data and integrity, guaranteeing the overall resilience of the interconnected society, surges the demand for more professionals, influencing cybersecurity salary growth.
As a result, the cybersecurity industry continues to grow, drawing the attention of aspiring professionals eager to contribute to securing the digital landscape.
Core Skills Needed in Cybersecurity
To thrive in the diverse cybersecurity landscape, you need skills like communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills that makes you an asset to your organisation.
Technical Proficiency
A strong technical foundation is critical in the field of cybersecurity. Skills like navigating complex network infrastructure to detect vulnerabilities, strengthen security measures, and defend digital systems against threats.
The dynamic landscape of cybersecurity demands expertise and strong skill in the core domains of cybersecurity, where professional certifications by EC-Council help you stand out, giving you the exposure, skills and recognition to discover lucrative cybersecurity careers. So, if you want to kickstart your career in this thriving, exciting, and challenging career, a key milestone is obtaining the Certified Ethical Hacker certification.
Starting Your Journey – How to Step into Cybersecurity with Free Courses
For early career professionals or complete beginners, EC-Council offers free courses to help them gain foundation cybersecurity knowledge.
Essentials Series’ three certification programs, Network Defense Essentials (N|DE), Ethical Hacking Essentials (E|HE), and Digital Forensics Essentials (D|FE), cover the fundamentals of Network Defense, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics. It offers self-paced learning with access to Free e-courseware.
EC-Council’s $3.5 Million Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) Scholarship
The EC-Council has pledged a $3.5 million Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) Scholarship to bridge the gap between cybersecurity jobs and their demand. The C|CT certification program is an entry-level cybersecurity course that equips you with a solid foundation and hands-on technical skills. The C|CT opens opportunities for those aspiring to have an impactful start in cybersecurity, providing knowledge in multiple cybersecurity domains like ethical hacking, network security, digital forensics, SOC, threat intelligence and hunting, incident handling, risk management, and more.
Specializations Certification:
Additionally, professional certifications like the C|ND, C|CISO, C|PENT, C|HFI, C|CSE, E|CDE, C|SA, E|CIH, C|TIA,., are designed to validate your skills further for specialized job roles in the industry.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity professionals are essential to almost all organisations in today’s digital era. There has never been a better time to hold on to an opportunity to significantly impact this dynamic landscape. And while many certifications can enhance your skills as supplementary, C|EH remains the cornerstone to building core skills and a career being comprehensive in nature, help you to making a mark in this field.