A Security analyst is responsible for ensuring that the company’s digital assets are protected from unauthorized access. This includes securing both online and on-premise infrastructures, weeding through metrics and data to filter out suspicious activity, and finding and mitigating risks before breaches occur.
If a breach does occur, security analysts are often on the front line, leading efforts to counter the attack. Think of them as the first line of defense when it comes to cyber attacks and security breaches. They are also responsible for making sure that new services and software of the company are completely secure.
As you would have guessed by now, cyber-security knowledge is a must in this line of work.
Salary of a Security Analyst in India
Starting salary ~ 30,000 rupees per month. The salary increases steadily, and you can expect to earn around 50,000 rupees per month 3-4 years down the line.
Job Profile (A Day in the life of a Security Analyst)
Security analysts are generally provided employment by software, finance and ed-tech industries. Your workday is going to be pretty much 9-5. Little to no travel/transfers happen in this field.
You will work within a larger team. Compartmentalization is high – there are a lot of people looking at niche domains. Your responsibilities would be to do security related assessment for the existing systems of the organization as well as the new system changes/products that the organization wants to launch.
Good understanding of modern computer systems, networks, IT security and especially cryptography knowledge is an absolute must. It is recommended that you mess around with some of this stuff on the side to see whether you would enjoy your work as a security analyst. Take a look at the resources section to see where you can start.
Good people skills are always appreciated, and would be really helpful to get your work done outside your assigned team or group. To be honest, kissing ass might get you ahead a bit.
The bigger the company, the slower the growth in this field. Work-life balance can be good, or it can be really terrible. Depends on your company and how much efforts you’re willing to put in. While some people like going overboard with “overtime”, you would have no compulsion to do the same, so it is up to you to determine your work-life balance and stress levels.
Degree
Yes, a degree is required to become a security analyst. Most companies generally require you to have an undergraduate degree in engineering (CS branch). So go for a BTech in Computer Science. Post graduation is not really needed.
One thing to love about being a Security Analyst
“Job stability”
One thing to hate about being a Security Analyst
“Old school people who seem to be technology averse. Close second is people who like to ‘show’ how much they work.”
Recommended Colleges
IITs, NITs, IIITs, VIT, and DTU are some of the top colleges for engineering in this country.
Resources and Tips
- Security related certifications are a big boost in this industry. Try to get them from reputed sources.
- If you are looking to develop a complete understanding of cryptography, Christopher Paar’s YouTube channel is a great help.
- “The Beginner’s Guide to Information Security” By Limor Elbaz is a great book to get your toes wet in the field of cybersecurity.
- Read “The Cyber Skill Gap” By Vagner Nunes. Available here (Use COUPON CODE: W4VSPTW8G7 to make it free).
- This GitHub page is a list of free courses in computer science. Go for the ones related to security and computer networks.
Step-by-step guide to become a Security Analyst
- Take science (PCM) stream in 11th grade. Make sure that you also take CS as a subject.
- Score at least 60% aggregate in class 12th as most colleges have this criteria.
- Give JEE and other equivalent exams (Many colleges conduct their own entrance tests. You can find more information about this on the college websites).
- Try to do as many internships as you can in college, and put a lot of emphasis on building a network.
- Also try to maintain an above average GPA, as some companies put an emphasis on that. Also try to be up-to-date with the latest technological developments in your field.
- Besides your studies, start working on personal projects to develop your portfolio. Companies love that!
- Get certificates in cybersecurity and ethical hacking by completing the online courses of reputed universities.
- Sit for campus placements, and if it doesn’t work out, LinkedIn is your best friend.
Similar Occupations
Firmware Engineer, Software Engineer, Quality Control Engineer