The need for experienced and qualified cybersecurity professionals is Cyber Security Occupational Awareness Week, led by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE).
It is part of this campaign. 2021 Cybersecurity Awareness Month, focuses on empowering individuals and organizations to “own their own role in protecting parts of cyberspace”.
UK Skills Gap
british government Cybersecurity skills in the UK labor market in 2021 The report estimates that around 680,000 UK companies (50% of those surveyed) have a basic skills gap.
This includes cybersecurity officers who ” lack the confidence to perform the kind of basic tasks outlined in the government-approved Cyber Essentials plan.” The most common skill gaps are “Storing or sending personal data, configured firewall settings, and detecting and removing malware.”
The report also estimates that 33% of companies surveyed have a more advanced cybersecurity skills gap in incident response, penetration testing, forensic analysis, and security architecture.
What skills do you need?
Cybersecurity focuses on protecting computer systems from unauthorized access or damage. Cybersecurity roles are often technical and require knowledge of the threat landscape, detection/monitoring, technology protection, risk management, and cyber incident response.
Information security is a broader category that protects all information assets, whether in hard copy or digital format. A career in information security, especially management, requires knowledge of cybersecurity, risk management, information security, data privacy, business continuity, compliance with laws and standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ISO 27001 .
Build a cybersecurity career
Our cybersecurity training programs are specifically designed to advance your cybersecurity career by providing you with the latest knowledge, skills and qualifications required by organizations around the world.
As the risk from COVID-19 continues, we are committed to offering instructor-led courses in our unique live online format or in our COVID-Security classroom. Most courses are also available in self-paced online versions that allow you to learn at your own pace and at a lower cost.
structured learning path
The number of cybersecurity courses and qualifications can be confusing when trying to start a career. Education experts always advise taking a ‘role-based’ approach and focusing on the skills and knowledge needed to meet the requirements of a specific job.
Our Learning Paths provide guides to help you decide which courses and qualifications will help you start or continue building your cybersecurity career.
getting started
A good place to start is with an accredited Cybersecurity Fundamentals course. From social engineering to security in the cloud, you’ll gain a foundation-level knowledge of the threat landscape, cyberattack types, legal, regulatory and contractual obligations, and incident response.
The next step is the Certified Cybersecurity Practitioner Training Course. It teaches you how to implement appropriate technical and organizational controls to provide infrastructure, application, information and operational security. You will also understand how to handle cybersecurity incidents and the basic principles of evidence gathering and digital forensics.
The Certificate in Information Security Management Principles (CISMP) qualification is recommended for career development. The CISMP is widely recognized as the ‘Certificate of Choice’ for IT Security Professionals and is recognized across the UK as an essential step towards a successful career in information security.
Technical or management role?
Any cybersecurity career requires technical expertise, but it is important to first decide whether you want to become a tech expert or a cybersecurity manager/director.
There are many technical training options. Whether you are a security IT administrator or a career in operations, CompTIA security training courses provide you with the knowledge you need to install and configure systems to secure devices, applications, and networks.
Ethical hacking or penetration testing involves using the same techniques as criminal hackers to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in organizational systems. The demand for ethical hackers has surged in the past few years, and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) training courses can develop the skills you need.
Microsoft Office 365 is used in: 258 million individuals And more than a million companies worldwide. Our portfolio of security training courses ensures you quickly achieve the Azure and Microsoft 365 cybersecurity credentials you need to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes.
Open the door to cyber security management
Most cybersecurity career paths eventually lead to management positions, which means you can lead a group of experts in areas where you are not a tech expert.
ISO 27001 is an international standard for information security. A best practice approach enables organizations to address their security needs through an Information Security Management System (ISMS). The accredited ISO 27001 ISMS Fundamentals Course and the accredited ISO 27001 ISMS Senior Implementer Training Curriculum provide complete training and globally recognized IBITGQ qualifications.
No matter which cybersecurity field you venture into, you will almost certainly encounter GDPR. Data protection and data privacy are key to cybersecurity, so these issues are definitely worth understanding. To get started, we always recommend an accredited GDPR Foundation training course.
Those with years of experience in cybersecurity may consider becoming a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM®) or a Certified Information Security Systems Specialist (CISSP®).