Cyberattacks are trending. Phishing attacks alone increased by 48% during the first half of 2022. In that time, 11,395 incidents were reported, which cost businesses $12.3 million. While there is no singular cause of the rapid uptick in cybercrimes, the growth rate of the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital transformation post-pandemic are both contributing factors.
To fight cybercrime, organizations often hire cybersecurity professionals such as engineers and analysts. But what’s the difference between these two roles, how do they reduce and mitigate cyberattacks, and which cybersecurity career path should you choose? Read on to find answers to all your questions.
Cybersecurity Engineer: Definition and Role
A cybersecurity engineer plays a key role on an organization’s security team. They provide practical, personalized network defense for organizations across all sectors. They use their unique skill set to defend an organization’s network from insider threats, malware, hackers and more.
Required Skills and Experience
To defend an organization’s network, cybersecurity engineers need skills related to:
- Communication and problem-solving
- Project management
- Incident response
- Data protection
- Software development
- Identity and access management
- Security architecture
- Software engineering
- Programming languages (Java, Python, etc.)
- Networking (routing, subnetting, virtual private networks and encryption techniques)
Additionally, cybersecurity engineers must have knowledge of various operating systems and database platforms.
Employers often require cybersecurity engineers to have a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity or a related discipline. Sometimes, job candidates need a master’s degree in cybersecurity.
An IT pro also usually needs a minimum of three years of relevant experience to land a job as a cybersecurity engineer.
While it’s typically not an entry-level role, there are different pathways one can take to become a cybersecurity engineer. You may start out as a cybersecurity specialist and become a cybersecurity analyst first. Or you could move from roles like network administrator, software developer or technical support specialist into cybersecurity. The possibilities are endless!
Common Tasks and Responsibilities
Using the skills listed above, cybersecurity engineers complete many different tasks on a given day. Some of the most common responsibilities of a cybersecurity engineer include:
- Designing, implementing and troubleshooting cybersecurity solutions, architecture and tools (such as an intrusion prevention system (IPS)
- Identifying vulnerabilities and threats within a network via penetration testing and auditing
- Authoring data security solutions
- Enhancing security capabilities by evaluating new technologies
- Defining, implementing and maintaining corporate security policies
- Recommending modifications in technical, legal and regulatory areas that impact IT security
- Performing security infrastructure upgrades
- Addressing technical problems within the network or operating system
- Planning defenses against intruders
Cybersecurity engineers also collaborate with other members of an organization’s security team, such as cybersecurity analysts and security architects.
Cybersecurity Engineer Job Titles, Salary and Job Outlook Information
There is more than one title for a cybersecurity engineer. Some job descriptions and employers refer to these IT pros as security software engineers, information security engineers or computer security engineers.
The job outlook for cybersecurity engineers is excellent, as there are currently more cybersecurity jobs than cybersecurity professionals to fill them. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of those who work in information security analysis, which includes cybersecurity engineers, will increase 35% through 2031.
CompTIA and the BLS list the median wage of cybersecurity engineers as $102,600 per year.
Cybersecurity Analyst: Definition and Role
Cybersecurity engineers often work in tandem with cybersecurity analysts to keep a company’s data safe and sound. A cybersecurity analyst has the same goal as a cybersecurity engineer: Prevent and mitigate security breaches. They accomplish this through monitoring and recommending security protocols for an organization’s security systems.
Required Skills and Experience
To complete their job duties, cybersecurity analysts need skills like risk management and threat research. Other essential cybersecurity analyst skills are related to:
- Incident analysis, response and reporting
- Intrusion detection software and systems
- Scripting
- Controls and frameworks
- Risk assessments
- Penetration testing
- Network security controls
- Operating systems
- Cloud computing
- DevOps
- Digital forensics
In addition to these technical skills, cybersecurity analysts also need professional skills such as collaboration and communication skills. They can use their skill set to keep vulnerable data safe.
To become a cybersecurity analyst, an individual usually needs a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in cybersecurity or a related field, such as computer science or data science. They also need one to five years of experience in a systems administrator or similar role.
Just like there are different pathways to becoming a cybersecurity engineer, there are many ways to become a cybersecurity analyst. You can gain experience in basically any IT sector and apply your skills to the cybersecurity field. Many skills are transferable, especially if you’ve had exposure to cybersecurity practices in previous positions.
Common Tasks and Responsibilities
Wondering what a cybersecurity analyst does at work? Cybersecurity analysts use the skills listed above to complete a wide variety of tasks. Some of the most common responsibilities include:
- Detecting cyber threats
- Monitoring network traffic in real time
- Analyzing reports to identify unusual behavior
- Implementing protections
- Investigating security incidents
- Installing encryption programs and firewalls
- Fixing vulnerabilities
- Applying security patches to networks
- Conducting threat research
Cybersecurity analysts also routinely plan changes that boost network security and create best practices for network security.
Cybersecurity Analyst Job Titles, Average Salary and Job Outlook Information
A cybersecurity analyst isn’t always called a cybersecurity analyst. Some IT pros and employers use the following job titles interchangeably:
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Information security analyst
- Business intelligence analyst
- Computer forensic analyst
If you’re interested in becoming a cybersecurity analyst, the job outlook is outstanding. As stated earlier, per the BLS, the employment of information security analysts will increase 35% through 2031. The BLS also reported that the average annual salary for information security analysts was $102,600 in May 2021.
Similarities Between Cybersecurity Engineers and Analysts
It’s not hard to perceive the similarities between cybersecurity engineers and analysts. First and foremost, they both protect an organization’s network through a variety of security measures. Also, both IT pros:
- Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in cybersecurity
- Document and create data security policies
- Collaborate with one another to create plans and design, upgrade and monitor systems
- Communicate with stakeholders regarding an organization’s data security plans and best practices
Cybersecurity engineers and analysts also share a robust set of soft skills, including analytical and problem-solving skills. These enable them to stay one step ahead of invaders and create, implement and maintain security solutions that work.
Differences Between Cybersecurity Engineers and Analysts
If you’re not looking closely, it can be easy to miss the differences between cybersecurity engineers and analysts. But the differences are there, and they are important.
The main difference is that cybersecurity analysts oversee the network to identify and prevent data breaches, whereas cybersecurity engineers design and implement security architecture and solutions.
Here are some other key differences between the two IT professionals:
- Cybersecurity engineers implement solutions to protect computer systems or networks. This is not a task a cybersecurity analyst performs.
- Cybersecurity engineers design and implement data security systems, whereas cybersecurity analysts identify vulnerabilities in the systems and solutions.
- Cybersecurity analysts monitor systems created by cybersecurity engineers, but they are not responsible for regulatory compliance. Cybersecurity engineers are responsible for compliance.
While cybersecurity engineers and analysts share a goal of protecting an organization’s networks and data, they accomplish that goal in different ways. This often looks like cybersecurity engineers creating and implementing data security solutions and cybersecurity analysts monitoring them.
Which Career Path Is Right for You?
Cybersecurity engineer vs. analyst: Which career path is the right one for you? Only you can decide. Asking yourself if you would prefer to build and implement security solutions or monitor them will help bring clarity to your quest for the right IT career path.
If you’d rather create and deploy security solutions, consider becoming a cybersecurity engineer. If your preference is to keep watch over security solutions, find vulnerabilities in them and mitigate them, then a career in cybersecurity analysis could be right for you.
Certifications That Further Your Cybersecurity Career
Earning a cybersecurity certification such as CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) can help you advance your cybersecurity career. CompTIA CySA+ is one of the best cybersecurity certifications currently available, and it covers the skills needed by both cybersecurity engineers and analysts.
With CompTIA CySA+, you’ll prove you can effectively leverage intelligence and threat detection techniques, identify and address vulnerabilities, and analyze and interpret data. Those who hold this certification also prove their competence in suggesting preventative measures and responding to and recovering from security incidents.
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is another cybersecurity certification to consider. Also, keep in mind that cybersecurity bootcamps look great on a resume and can further your knowledge of data security.
Whether you want to work in a security role in finance, healthcare, government or another sector, CompTIA CySA+. Stand out in cybersecurity with CompTIA CySA+.
