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324 certs listed | March 2020

Information security is an ever-evolving field requiring security professionals to constantly learn and evolve with it. Demonstrating evolving knowledge to customers, peers, and hiring managers has become a complex affair. While experience is still king it can be daunting to summarize advanced and various knowledge into a single bullet on a resume.

Certification entities strive to help by providing standardized exams that test specific knowledge and issuing verifiable certifications to successful testers. These certifications provide a way to quickly relate competence in specific bodies of knowledge (BOKs) through a short acronym or badge. However, like most symbols these acronyms and badges must be recognizable to be of any use.

The Security Certification Roadmap above is a sort of Rosetta stone for these certifications. The chart attempts to classify and rank security certifications based on reputation, difficulty, and usefulness of their BOKs. Ranks are based on my judgement of these certifications and feedback from dozens of security professionals.

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Security Certification Roadmap - Paul Jerimy

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324 certs listed | March 2020 Information security is an ever-evolving field requiring security professionals to constantly learn and evolve with it. Demonstrating evolving knowledge to customers, peers, and hiring managers has become a complex affair. While experience is still king it can be daunting to summarize advanced and various knowledge into a single bullet on a resume.

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Mitre - Covering all manner of threats in the world of Cyber

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Mitre - Covering all manner of threats in the world of Cyber

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MITRE ATT&CK ® is a globally-accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. The ATT&CK knowledge base is used as a foundation for the development of specific threat models and methodologies in the private sector, in government, and in the cybersecurity product and service community.

With the creation of ATT&CK, MITRE is fulfilling its mission to solve problems for a safer world - by bringing communities together to develop more effective cybersecurity. ATT&CK is open and available to any person or organization for use at no charge.

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MITRE ATT&CK ® is a globally-accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations. The ATT&CK knowledge base is used as a foundation for the development of specific threat models and methodologies in the private sector, in government, and in the cybersecurity product and service community.

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This platform provides a differentiated approach to cyber training: from beginner level to advanced. This platform offers some of the most prestigious qualifications in the world of cyber.

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Students are able to start their practical 24-hour incident response exam immediately from the BTL1 course within 12 months of purchase. Students will have access to a cloud lab via an in-browser session for up to 24 hours and must complete answer 20 task-based questions. This forces candidates to use different tools, investigate different systems, and identify activity across multiple ATT&CK Framework tactics.

Once the student has answered all the questions they can, they are able to submit the exam to receive immediate grading and feedback. 70% is required to pass and earn the silver challenge coin, while 90% (on the first attempt) is required for the gold challenge coin.

If a student fails the exam they will be permitted one free resit voucher which must be used within 12 months of purchase. To prevent student burnout, you are not permitted to take the exam within 10 days of failing. Additional resit vouchers can be purchased for £100. Students are not permitted to resit their exam within 10 days of failing.

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Blue Team Level 1 Certification " Security Blue Team

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Blue Team Level 1 is a practical cybersecurity certification focusing on defensive practices, security investigations, and incident handling.

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Keep your certification up to date with CompTIA's Continuing Education (CE) program. It's designed to be a continued validation of your expertise and a tool to expand your skillset. It's also the ace up your sleeve when you're ready to take the next step in your career.

Get the most out of your certification
Information technology is an incredibly dynamic field, creating new opportunities and challenges every day. Participating in our Continuing Education program will enable you to stay current with new and evolving technologies and remain a sought-after IT and security expert.

The CompTIA Continuing Education program
Your CompTIA Security+ certification is good for three years from the day of your exam. The CE program allows you to extend your certification in three-year intervals through activities and training that relate to the content of your certification. Like Security+ itself, CompTIA Security+ CE also carries globally-recognized ISO/ANSI accreditation status.

It's easy to renew
You can participate in a number of activities and training programs, including higher certifications, to renew your CompTIA Security+ certification. Complete CertMaster CE, an online, self-paced CE course, or collect at least 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in three years, upload them to your certification account and Security+ will automatically renew.

Want more details? Learn more about the CompTIA Continuing Education program.

Security+ can be renewed

50

CEUs needed for renewal

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Security+ (Plus) Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications

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Security+ validates the core skills required for a career in IT security and cybersecurity. Learn about the certification, available training and the exam.

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Crowd Strike Forging Innovation in the world of Cyber

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Crowd Strike Forging Innovation in the world of Cyber

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A radical new approach proven to stop breaches

CrowdStrike protects the people, processes and technologies that drive modern enterprise. A single agent solution to stop breaches, ransomware, and cyber attacks-powered by world-class security expertise and deep industry experience.

Cloud native Eliminates complexity and simplifies deployment to drive down operational costs

AI powered Harnesses the power of big data and artificial intelligence to empower your team with instant visibility

Single agent Delivers everything you need to stop breaches - providing maximum effectiveness on day one

The CrowdStrike difference

Technology augmented with deep security expertise

World-class intelligence

All cloud data is enriched with threat intelligence to provide a full picture of attacks and the context needed to pivot to a proactive security posture.

24/7 threat hunting

Falcon OverWatch proactively searches for threats on our customers behalf. An elite team of threat hunters works 24/7 as an additional layer of protection to catch what other solutions miss.

Fully managed service

Gain instant security maturity with a cost-effective way to address the cybersecurity skills gap. Our Experts will configure and operate the solution while also offering the industry's only true remote remediation service.

3 reasons to choose CrowdStrike

With CrowdStrike, customers benefit from better protection, better performance and immediate time-to-value delivered by the cloud-native CrowdStrike Falcon® platform.

Better protection Get protection across the entire threat lifecycle by combining machine learning, artificial intelligence, behavioral analytics and
proactive threat hunting in a single solution - all powered by Threat Graph, the security industry's largest cloud analytics platform.

Better performance
A single lightweight agent works everywhere, including virtual machines and data centers - providing protection even when endpoints are offline.

Better value
Get better protection while eliminating on-premise infrastructure and consolidating your endpoint agents with an extensible platform that grows and adapts to your needs without adding complexity.

"When we engaged CrowdStrike, it was a complete 180. Now we've found that partner that will get us back to a stable operating point."Jason Rooks, CIO of Parkway Schools

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Why Choose CrowdStrike As Your Security Provider? | CrowdStrike

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At CrowdStrike, our mission is to deliver the best cybersecurity solutions & stop breaches for our customers worldwide. Here's 3 reasons to choose CrowdStrike.

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Cybersecurity Awareness - Education and Resources | Microsoft Security

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Celebrate cybersecurity month and learn about what's new in cybersecurity and explore cybersecurity education resources to help you improve your organization's internet safety.

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What is cybersecurity? Explore IBM Security QRadar

Cybersecurity refers to any technology, measure or practice for preventing cyberattacks or mitigating their impact. Cybersecurity aims to protect individuals' and organizations' systems, applications, computing devices, sensitive data and financial assets against simple and annoying computer viruses, sophisticated and costly ransomware attacks, and everything in between.

Cyberattacks have the power to disrupt, damage or destroy businesses-and the cost to victims keeps rising. For example, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach 2023 report,

The average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, up 15 percent over the last there years;

The average cost of a ransomware-related data breach in 2023 was even higher, at USD 5.13 million. This does not the cost of the ransom payment, which averaged an additional USD 1,542,333, up 89 percent from the previous year.

By one estimate, cybercrime will cost the world economy USD 10.5 trillion per year by 2025 (link resides outside ibm.com). ¹

The information technology (IT) trends of the past few years-the rise in cloud computing adoption, network complexity, remote work and work from home, bring your own device (BYOD) programs, and connected devices and sensors in everything from doorbells to cars to assembly lines-have resulted in tremendous business advantages and human progress, but have also created exponentially more ways for cybercriminals to attack.

Perhaps not surprisingly, a recent study found that the global cybersecurity worker gap-the gap between existing cybersecurity workers and cybersecurity jobs that need to be filled-was 3.4 million workers worldwide. ² Resource-strained security teams are focusing on developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies that leverage advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and automation to fight cyberthreats more effectively and minimize the impact of cyberattacks when they occur.

Analyst report Global Security Operations Center Study Results

Read the latest cyberthreat detection and response trends compiled from 1,000 security operations center (SOC) team members around the world.

Related content
Subscribe to the IBM Newsletter

Types of cybersecurity (cybersecurity domains)

A strong cybersecurity strategy protects all relevant IT infrastructure layers or domains against cyberthreats and cybercrime.

Common (and dangerous) cybersecurity myths

Despite an ever-increasing volume of cybersecurity incidents worldwide, and ever-increasing volumes of learnings gleaned from them, some very dangerous misconceptions persist.

Strong passwords alone are adequate protection. Strong passwords make a difference. For example, all other things being equal, a 12-character password takes 62 trillion times longer to crack than a 6-character password. But because cybercriminals can steal passwords (or pay disgruntled employees or other insiders to steal them), they can't be an organization's or individual's only security measure.

The major cybersecurity risks are well known. In fact, the risk surface is constantly expanding. Thousands of new vulnerabilities are reported in old and new applications and devices every year. And opportunities for human error-specifically by negligent employees or contractors who unintentionally cause a data breach-keep increasing.

All cyberattack vectors are contained. Cybercriminals are finding new attack vectors all the time-including Linux systems, operational technology (OT), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and cloud environments.

'My industry is safe.' Every industry has its share of cybersecurity risks, with cyber adversaries exploiting the necessities of communication networks within almost every government and private-sector organization. For example, ransomware attacks (see below) are targeting more sectors than ever, including local governments, non-profits and healthcare providers; threats on supply chains, ".gov" websites, and critical infrastructure have also increased.

Cybercriminals don't attack small businesses. Yes, they do. For example, in 2021 82 percent of ransomware attacks targeted companies with fewer than 1,000 employees; 37 percent of companies attacked with ransomware had fewer than 100 employees. ⁵

Key cybersecurity technologies and best practices

The following best practices and technologies can help your organization implement strong cybersecurity that reduces your vulnerability to cyber attacks and protects your critical information systems, without intruding on the user or customer experience.

Cybersecurity threats are becoming more advanced and more persistent, and demanding more effort by security analysts to sift through countless alerts and incidents. IBM Security QRadar SIEM makes it easy to remediate threats faster while maintaining your bottom line. QRadar SIEM prioritizes high-fidelity alerts to help you catch threats that others simply miss.

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Cybersecurity technology and best practices protect critical systems and sensitive information from an ever-growing volume of continually evolving threats.

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What Is Cybersecurity: How It Works? |Cyber Security In 2 Minutes | Cyber Security | Simplilearn

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Cybersecurity Career Paths: Which One Is Right for You?

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Getting Into Cyber Security: 5 Skills You NEED to Learn

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In this course, you'll learn about the types of cloud security policies that protect against DDoS Attacks, Firewall Breaches, and Unauthorized Access. Explore tools like MS Defender for cloud, security information and event management (SICM) and security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR).

You'll gain an understanding of security features available in Azure and best practices for protecting Azure resources, as well as Azure security standards and compliance. You'll also learn how to protect your organization's assets from various types of threats, including malware, phishing, and identity-based attacks. This course will take you one step closer to the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which requires no degree or prior experience. After completing this course, you'll be able to: * Explain cloud-based security concepts * Discuss security information and event management (SIEM) * Define 365 Defender capabilities This is also a great way to prepare for the Microsoft SC-900 exam. By passing the SC-900 exam, you'll earn the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals Certification.

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Cybersecurity Solutions and Microsoft Defender

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Offered by Microsoft. In this course, you'll learn about the types of cloud security policies that protect against DDoS Attacks, Firewall ... Enroll for free.

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There are various entry routes into cyber security, including apprenticeships, vocational qualifications, and degrees ¹ ². You can find NCSC-certified cyber security degrees in this post.

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Q: Do I need a certification to work in cyber security?

A: Not at all. The Cyber Security industry has many vacancies across all specialisms, and they are seeking talent as opposed to certifications. Individuals learn in different ways, ranging from formal education to apprenticeships, to free or paid for courses. However, talent and enthusiasm are the key to success.

Q: What certification should I do?

A: This is no one answer to this question. Certifications can identify knowledge, but not necessarily skill and the number of certifications out there are vast and confusing. Check out our Certification Framework to learn more about different certifications. If you're unsure which area of cyber security you're interested in, you can use our Career Mapping tool to find out about the specialism.

Q: Do I need to have studied Computer Science?

A: Not necessarily, if you have studied Computer Science at GCSE, A Level or Degree Level then you will have learned about some Cyber Security concepts.

However, studying computer science is not essential to working in Cyber Security, and there are lots of routes into the sector. H ave a look at our Entry Routes - Qualifications and Entry Routes - Training to learn about the variety of routes into Cyber Security.

If you would like to apply for a degree in Cyber Security then you can find the NCSC-certified cyber security degrees here.

Q: What levels of education do I need?

A: There are opportunities available within Cyber Security at all levels. It's important that you can show your knowledge and skills off well. This may be from education or training, but don't forget other examples such volunteering, self-learning and previous work experience.

Q: Do I need to know how to code?

A: Some evidence of practical skills can be beneficial, and knowledge of coding is just one aspect in cyber security. Knowledge of networking, experience communication skills and attention to detail will always look great on an application.

Q: How do I get work experience?

A: There are many ways you can get work experience; job fairs, LinkedIn and networking are all valid approaches, and it often boils down to who you know and being proactive in selling yourself. Go to Cyber Conferences and talk to employers who are always looking for the right candidate and often willing to invest in an individual.

Q: What kind of interview questions should I expect at interview?

A: You can expect to be asked behavioural, communication, performance-based questions and brainteaser questions.

Find the specialism(s) that interest you the most on our Cyber Careers Framework. Within each specialism are details of the knowledge and skills needed. Prepare examples of how you can demonstrate developing or using the knowledge and skills listed.

Q: Where can I get free training?

A: For free training, you can find more information on our Entry Routes training page. Here you'll find many courses, some of which are free to enrol on. Another free training resource is the CyBOK Knowledgebase which you can find .

Q: How can I access events and webinars?

A: There are many ways to access events and webinars. We host many different events and webinars throughout the year, which you can find and posted on our LinkedIn page. You can also find other events and webinars on the website and might find some local events with the UKC3 clusters. Another useful way to identify events and webinars of interest is through LinkedIn, so sign up and network!

Q: What salaries are there in cyber security?

A: There are a wide range of roles within the industry and salaries depend on experience, expertise and location. The UK average salary in cyber security is around £62,500. A great resource to see and compare salaries is IT Job Watch .

If there's any questions that you feel we've not answered, please get in touch with us.

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Q: Do I need a certification to work in cyber security?

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A superb way to practise your cyber skills with Try Hack Me.

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Exercises in every lesson

TryHackMe goes way beyond textbooks and focuses on fun interactive lessons that make you put theory into practice. You'll get an immersive learning experience with network simulations, intentionally vulnerable technology based on real world examples and more.

Beginner Friendly

New to security? No problem! We have learning paths that will teach you the fundamental cyber security skills, which will help set you up to land a job in cyber security.

Start Hacking Instantly

We give you all the tools you need to start learning. Access a machine with the security tools you'll need through the browser, and starting learning from anywhere at any time. All you need is an internet connection!

Real-world Networks

Take your cyber security training to the next stage by learning to attack and defend computer networks similar to those used by various organisations today.

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TryHackMe is a free online platform for learning cyber security, using hands-on exercises and labs, all through your browser!

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Check out the current roles here at Daisy, that encompass all things cyber.

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A gamified platform for defenders to practice their skills in security investigations and challenges covering; Incident Response, Digital Forensics, Security Operations, Reverse Engineering, and Threat Hunting.
Free and paid tiers available.

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A gamified platform for defenders to practice their skills in security investigations and challenges covering; Incident Response, Digital Forensics, Security Operations, Reverse Engineering, and Threat Hunting. Free and paid tiers available.

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Organizations around the globe are scaling their security culture with ease using SoSafe. Automated and continuous behavioral science-based cyber security training keeps employees aware and companies prepared.

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You want to boost the security awareness of your employees with automated cyber security awareness training? Request a demo with our experts.

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To kickstart your cyber security career, you need to have a combination of skills, qualifications, and experience3. Some of the essential skills include problem-solving, analytical thinking, and attention to detail

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Cyber threats are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and targeted. This makes it essential for businesses to invest in robust cyber security to protect their digital assets, safeguard employees, and preserve their reputation.

Cyber security specialists are the skilled professionals behind these strategies, making their role in-demand across a variety of industries. With the cyber security skills gap continuing to grow, now is a great time to start your career. In this step-by-step guide, you'll discover the skills, qualifications, and experience you need to kickstart your cyber security career.

How do I get into cyber security?

From entry-level roles to a more advanced career path, there are many opportunities to get into the varied field of cyber security. Below, you'll find our top tips to start you on your path to success:

Develop a solid foundation of knowledge

To begin your cyber security journey, it's important to first master the fundamentals. Find opportunities to learn about the core cyber security concepts, such as computer systems, networks, and security essentials. With this strong foundation, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to take your learning and career to the next level.

Take charge of your learning

There are many opportunities for self-directed learning to take your development into your own hands. Harness the power of online courses, textbooks, and digital resources to immerse yourself in cyber security. Take a look at FutureLearn's varied cyber security courses, dedicated to equipping you with essential career-ready skills.

Gain industry-recognised certificates

Certificates help demonstrate your knowledge and skills to future employers. Look out for certifications that hold weight in the cyber security industry, such as the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

Develop your practical skills

Theoretical knowledge is vital, but practical experience prepares you for the workplace. Find internships, volunteer opportunities, or online courses with practical assessments to help you gain the job-ready skills needed to thrive in the industry.

Stay up-to-date with industry trends

The cyber security landscape is ever-evolving. To help you remain competitive, stay up-to-date with different industry trends through blogs, podcasts, and cyber security news sources.

Build your professional connections

Develop your professional network to open doors to mentorships and job opportunities. Engage in cyber security conferences, local security meet-ups, and become an active member of online forums and communities.

Find your cyber security niche

Becoming an expert in a niche can set you apart from other job applicants. Identify a specific area of cyber security that interests you - whether it's network security, penetration testing, incident response, or safeguarding the cloud.

Create a home learning environment

To help develop your practical skills further, design an environment at home for hands-on learning. This will give you the opportunity to experiment with cyber security tools and hone your expertise.

Take on personal projects

Personal projects are a great way to showcase your dedication and skills to potential employers. You can build a portfolio by contributing to open-source security tools, developing security applications, or engaging in bug bounty programmes.

Apply for entry-level positions

After cementing your knowledge and skills, you're ready to apply for entry-level positions such as a security analyst, IT support specialist, or junior penetration tester. In your application, make sure you emphasise your certificates, practical experience, and projects.

Develop your coding and scripting expertise

Using programming languages can help you advance in your career as you learn how to automate tasks and conduct in-depth security analysis. Familiarise yourself with frequently used programming languages, such as Python and PowerShell, to help you complete more advanced cyber security tasks.

Gain workplace-ready skills with hands-on labs

Cyber security is all about using your knowledge and applying it in the workplace. Sharpen your practical skills by participating in hands-on labs, virtual environments, and cyber challenges offered by platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, or OWASP WebGoat.

Hone your soft skills

As a cyber security professional, you'll often need to translate complex cyber concepts and vulnerabilities to non-technical stakeholders. To do this, try to develop your soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Commit to lifelong learning

The cyber security landscape is in a constant state of flux. Stay up-to-date with emerging cyber threats and technologies through online courses, workshops, webinars, and continuous self-improvement to ensure you remain competitive.

Join online cyber security communities

Engage with seasoned cyber security professionals by joining online communities on platforms such as LinkedIn and Reddit. You can share insights, ask questions, and discuss working opportunities.

Can you get into cyber security without a degree?

Yes, you don't need a formal degree to become a cyber security professional. The dynamic nature of the industry places a strong emphasis on practical skills, relevant certificates, and hands-on experience.

So, while a degree in a related field such as computer science can be advantageous, it is not essential for you to excel in your cyber security career.

What should I specialise in within cyber security?

You should choose your niche based on your areas of interest. Gain practical experience in specialisations such as network security, incident response, cloud security, and other areas to discover which niche interests you most most.

Are coding skills necessary for a career in cyber security?

While not mandatory, coding skills will help you automate tasks and perform in-depth security analysis. Therefore, the ability to use languages like Python and PowerShell can enhance your capabilities and also make you stand out from other candidates.

What are the soft skills that matter in cyber security?

Cyber security professionals often need to explain complex cyber concepts to non-technical people. Therefore, soft skills such as effective communication can help you convey the importance of cyber security to others in the business.

In your role, it's also likely you'll have to make quick decisions in high-pressure situations and so critical thinking and problem-solving are other useful soft skills to have.

How can I prepare for the future of cyber security?

With technological advancements and evolving threats, the future of cyber security is ever-changing. To best prepare for this, you'll need to develop a proactive and agile approach to security to meet the demands of the future.

Embrace lifelong learning with online courses, adapt to new challenges, and stay up-to-date with the dynamic landscape.

Develop your cyber security skills with FutureLearn

A cyber security career gives you the opportunity to contribute to a company's success by protecting its digital assets. If you're ready to start your journey toward becoming a cyber security professional, take a look at our range of cyber security courses to help you develop job-ready skills. Your first step to your new career starts here. Check out these cyber security courses to get started:

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How to get into cyber security - FutureLearn

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Learn how to become an in-demand cyber security professional, no matter what your experience, with this handy step-by-step guide.

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Today, hackers are growing more sophisticated and security breaches are becoming more frequent. There is a need to protect against risks and threats to an organization's data. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reports that 47 percent of adults in the US have had their personal data exposed by cyber criminals [ 1]. If you take into account that a data breach can cost an average of $9.44 million in the US, it's clear why there is high demand for cybersecurity [ 2].

It's a great time to enter this field, so let's take a look at what skills and certifications you'll need to succeed.

What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the process of protecting an organization's computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access or damage. Cyberattacks and threats can access, change, or destroy sensitive information such as passwords, financial information, medical records, and other confidential data.
Read more: What Is Cybersecurity? Definition + Industry Guide
Careers in cybersecurity

To protect against such attacks, companies hire IT and cybersecurity professionals to prevent risks to internal and external systems. Five common cybersecurity career paths to consider depending on your skill set include: engineering and architecture, incident response, management and administration, consulting, and testing and hacking.

You can also check out these in-demand cybersecurity jobs and entry-level jobs, and this career guide that points you toward detailed articles on specific entry-, mid-, and senior-level roles. A few are listed below.

Read more: 5 Cybersecurity Career Paths (and How to Get Started)

Job outlook and salaries

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of cybersecurity jobs is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2022 through 2032. That's much faster than the average for all jobs, which is 3 percent [ 3].
*All salaries sourced from Glassdoor in October 2023. Entry-level cybersecurity jobs Mid-level cybersecurity jobs Senior-level cybersecurity jobs
Cybersecurity jobs tend to pay well and qualified people are needed at all levels. Here are some examples of jobs and average salaries to consider.

How to get into cybersecurity: 7 steps

There are many pathways to get into the in-demand cybersecurity field. Use this step-by-step guide to navigate the landscape effectively.

1. Do some research on the cybersecurity landscape.

Earlier, we listed some job roles in cybersecurity, starting with entry-level positions. If you have transferable skills and technical IT knowledge, it's possible to make a lateral move. Do some research into these career paths. What skills do you already have that align with specific jobs? Maybe you want to be a cybersecurity engineer because you already have an engineering degree. Look up people on LinkedIn who are in roles you aspire to-what qualifications do they have? Do they have a master's degree, or specific certifications?

2. Develop your skills.

Familiarity with operating systems: Being able to work with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS is needed for penetration testing, cybersecurity research and analysis, and computer forensics.

Once you've figured out what types of cybersecurity jobs you're interested in, you can start building the skills you need. Generally, you'll want to have a good understanding of the following:
Read more: 15 Essential Skills for Cybersecurity Analysts in 2023
Since cybersecurity professionals frequently work with teams to resolve and prevent issues, you'll also want to develop soft skills such as communication, leadership, critical thinking, and adaptability.
Read more: 10 Popular Cybersecurity Certifications
3. Consider a certification.

Certifications in cybersecurity prove to hiring managers that you have a tangible credential and a certain level of expertise. For example, the CompTIA Security+ is a popular entry-level certification that validates you have the core skills needed for a cybersecurity job. Another certification is the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) credential that demonstrates your ability to assess security vulnerabilities and report on compliance.

Programs such as Google's Cybersecurity or IT Support professional certificate provide a quick and comprehensive introduction to these career fields so you can master the skills necessary. They are enough to get your foot in the door at a company where you can continue to learn on the job. You may decide to acquire more certifications to get where you want to go in the future.

In the Google IT Support Professional Certificate program, I learned skills to assist customers with end-to-end support, ranging from identifying problems to troubleshooting and debugging.

4. Get familiar with cybersecurity tools and software.
Read more: How to Get a Cybersecurity Internship (Step-by-Step)
As you work on gaining some of the skills, you'll most likely become familiar with some cybersecurity tools, software, and hardware systems along the way. It's a good idea to become familiar with how to use at least one cloud program like Azure, which should translate to understanding the basics of how AWS and Google Cloud work. Some programs offer free trials so you can gain first-hand experience. Companies will likely want expertise in whichever tools and software they use, so it's better to be prepared for any scenario.

5. Gain some work experience.

Real-world experience working on cybersecurity projects is one of the best ways to learn and represent your abilities to prospective employers. Whether you're interested in auditing, consulting, or incident response, you'll want to apply for internships and entry-level positions that work in these specific functions-or at least one where you can work side-by-side with people in those roles.

6. Grow your network.

Networking can help set you apart from other candidates by putting a face to the name or getting introduced through a mutual connection. You may already know someone working in cybersecurity who could give you valuable advice or provide a referral for a job at their company. Reach out to cybersecurity professionals on LinkedIn for informational interviews -or send a message to hiring managers to reiterate your interest after applying for a job.
Read more: How to Write a Cybersecurity Resume (Step-by-Step with Examples)
Growing your network can also mean joining a professional network on Meetup or Facebook to connect with cybersecurity professionals in your area.

7. Update your resume and apply for jobs.

Finally, update your resume with all the certifications, skills, and experience you've gained. It's wise to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job that you apply for to demonstrate that you have the specific qualifications they're looking for in the job description.

Start applying for jobs. You may have to apply to quite a few jobs and go through the interview process before you find the right one, but that's normal. Don't lose sight of your goal-if you keep at it, you'll eventually land the cybersecurity role of your dreams.

Learn cybersecurity with Google

Ready to get into cybersecurity? Enroll in Google's Cybersecurity Professional Certificate to learn in-demand skills and become job-ready in about six months. In this comprehensive program, you'll be able to identify common threats and vulnerabilities and learn techniques to mitigate them.

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How to Get into Cybersecurity: 2024 Career Guide

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Learn what it takes to get into the in-demand field of cybersecurity, featuring career paths, skills, certifications, and a step-by-step guide.

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Getting started in the world of cyber.

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Interested in cybersecurity as a career? Find out what skills to start with and what a career path looks like.

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An Introduction to Cybersecurity Careers

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Find out more about the skills and qualifications needed to forge ahead with a career in cyber.

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Cyber security careers: a route map through the 16 cyber security specialisms

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Details for the 16 core cyber security specialisms. Each specialism is displayed adjacent to other specialisms that have associated functions and/or use similar sets of knowledge and skills.

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Cyber Security Qualifications

If you believe you possess several of the skills above and have a passion for information security, you may want to think about pursuing a career in cyber security. If you're at the start of your professional career, one of the best ways to get into the information security sector is to take a relevant degree subject.

Although in some cases it is possible to move across from other IT roles into a cyber security position, this is becoming more difficult as cyber security careers increase in popularity. If you're interested in a cyber security career, one of the following degree subjects will help you along the career path:

If you're already working in the cyber security sector, you may want to take a few other cyber security qualifications to further your career. With a whole range of industry-related certifications out there, it's important that professionals only take modules that apply to their specialism. Here are a few extra qualifications available that cyber security specialists might want to consider:

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Great for professionals just starting out in cyber security, this qualification only requires one year's experience and provides the perfect opportunity for individuals to prove their technical skills and security knowledge.

To gain the SSCP qualification, individuals will need to have a comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge of all the skills and information required to thrive in this industry, with modules covering topics such as risk identification and cryptography. Finally, those studying for the SSCP will be assessed by a three-hour exam.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

The most commonly held qualification amongst information security specialists, the CISSP is often essential for career development in this industry. Individuals will need to have around four or more years experience and tend to be of consultant or managerial level.

The qualification covers eight cyber security disciplines, including asset security, security engineering and identity and access management, before culminating in a six-hour exam. The certification is a globally recognised achievement of excellence and is one of the requirements of the ISO/IEC Standard 17024.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

A qualification for professionals with at least five years' experience working in the industry, the CISM certification is a great way to further your career. You must have completed the required five years of work experience, which includes at least three years in an information security management position, before you obtain the qualification. To receive the accreditation, you must have completed your work experience within 10 years' prior to submitting the application.

Skills needed for a career in cyber security

​Not sure if you're cut out for a career in cyber security? Well, if your interest is sparked by the idea of becoming an information security analyst, penetration tester or computer forensics investigator, you may already possess a few skills crucial for one of these roles. A competent information security professional will need:

Strong analytical skills and a keen eye for spotting trends in data

The ability to make decisions with confidence and show initiative

To be able to work effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines

Have a keen attention to detail and work in a logical and objective fashion

To be well organised and able to manage their own time

The ability to work creatively and think outside of the box

Strong communication skills, as well as the ability to adapt communication styles to suit different audiences

To have a clear understanding of confidentiality issues and related laws

An inquisitive nature and a keen interest in the IT sector

​If you're looking to further your career, why not find out if you could progress quicker in a new position? Take a look at our latest IT job listings to see if you can take your career to the next level.

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Skills and qualifications needed for a career in cyber security

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As businesses continue to increase their digital presence, cyber security is becoming vitally important and for those individuals with the necessary skills and qualifications, it can be a rather fruitful career path.

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The OWASP Top 10 is a standard awareness document for developers and web application security. It represents a broad consensus about the most critical security risks to web applications.

Globally recognized by developers as the first step towards more secure coding.

Companies should adopt this document and start the process of ensuring that their web applications minimize these risks. Using the OWASP Top 10 is perhaps the most effective first step towards changing the software development culture within your organization into one that produces more secure code.

Top 10 Web Application Security Risks

There are three new categories, four categories with naming and scoping changes, and some consolidation in the Top 10 for 2021.

A01:2021-Broken Access Control moves up from the fifth position; 94% of applications were tested for some form of broken access control. The 34 Common Weakness Enumerations (CWEs) mapped to Broken Access Control had more occurrences in applications than any other category.

A02:2021-Cryptographic Failures shifts up one position to #2, previously known as Sensitive Data Exposure, which was broad symptom rather than a root cause. The renewed focus here is on failures related to cryptography which often leads to sensitive data exposure or system compromise.

A03:2021-Injection slides down to the third position. 94% of the applications were tested for some form of injection, and the 33 CWEs mapped into this category have the second most occurrences in applications. Cross-site Scripting is now part of this category in this edition.

A04:2021-Insecure Design is a new category for 2021, with a focus on risks related to design flaws. If we genuinely want to "move left" as an industry, it calls for more use of threat modeling, secure design patterns and principles, and reference architectures.

A05:2021-Security Misconfiguration moves up from #6 in the previous edition; 90% of applications were tested for some form of misconfiguration. With more shifts into highly configurable software, it's not surprising to see this category move up. The former category for XML External Entities (XXE) is now part of this category.

A06:2021-Vulnerable and Outdated Components was previously titled Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities and is #2 in the Top 10 community survey, but also had enough data to make the Top 10 via data analysis. This category moves up from #9 in 2017 and is a known issue that we struggle to test and assess risk. It is the only category not to have any Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVEs) mapped to the included CWEs, so a default exploit and impact weights of 5.0 are factored into their scores.

A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures was previously Broken Authentication and is sliding down from the second position, and now includes CWEs that are more related to identification failures. This category is still an integral part of the Top 10, but the increased availability of standardized frameworks seems to be helping.

A08:2021-Software and Data Integrity Failures is a new category for 2021, focusing on making assumptions related to software updates, critical data, and CI/CD pipelines without verifying integrity. One of the highest weighted impacts from Common Vulnerability and Exposures/Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVE/CVSS) data mapped to the 10 CWEs in this category. Insecure Deserialization from 2017 is now a part of this larger category.

A09:2021-Security Logging and Monitoring Failures was previously Insufficient Logging & Monitoring and is added from the industry survey (#3), moving up from #10 previously. This category is expanded to include more types of failures, is challenging to test for, and isn't well represented in the CVE/CVSS data. However, failures in this category can directly impact visibility, incident alerting, and forensics.

A10:2021-Server-Side Request Forgery is added from the Top 10 community survey (#1). The data shows a relatively low incidence rate with above average testing coverage, along with above-average ratings for Exploit and Impact potential. This category represents the scenario where the security community members are telling us this is important, even though it's not illustrated in the data at this time.

Efforts have been made in numerous languages to translate the OWASP Top 10 - 2021. If you are interested in helping, please contact the members of the team for the language you are interested in contributing to, or if you don't see your language listed (neither here nor at github), please email [email protected] to let us know that you want to help and we'll form a volunteer group for your language. We have compiled this readme with some hints to help you with your translation.

Top10:2021 Completed Translations:

Historic:

Top10:2017 Completed Translations:

Chinese: OWASP Top 10-2017 - 中文版（PDF)

项目组长：王颉（[email protected]）

翻译人员：陈亮、王厚奎、王颉、王文君、王晓飞、吴楠、徐瑞祝、夏天泽、杨璐、张剑钟、赵学文（排名不分先后，按姓氏拼音排列）

审查人员：Rip、包悦忠、李旭勤、杨天识、张家银（排名不分先后，按姓氏拼音排列）

汇编人员：赵学文

French: OWASP Top 10 2017 in French (Git/Markdown)

German: OWASP Top 10 2017 in German V1.0 (Pdf) (web pages)
compiled by Christian Dresen, Alexios Fakos, Louisa Frick, Torsten Gigler, Tobias Glemser, Dr. Frank Gut, Dr. Ingo Hanke, Dr. Thomas Herzog, Dr. Markus Koegel, Sebastian Klipper, Jens Liebau, Ralf Reinhardt, Martin Riedel, Michael Schaefer

Hebrew: OWASP Top 10-2017 - Hebrew (PDF) (PPTX)
translated by Eyal Estrin (Twitter: @eyalestrin) and Omer Levi Hevroni (Twitter: @omerlh).

Japanese: OWASP Top 10-2017 - 日本語版 (PDF)
translated and reviewed by Akitsugu ITO, Albert Hsieh, Chie TAZAWA, Hideko IGARASHI, Hiroshi TOKUMARU, Naoto KATSUMI, Riotaro OKADA, Robert DRACEA, Satoru TAKAHASHI, Sen UENO, Shoichi NAKATA, Takanori NAKANOWATARI ,Takanori ANDO, Tomohiro SANAE.

Korean: OWASP Top 10-2017 - 한글 (PDF) (PPTX)
번역 프로젝트 관리 및 감수 : 박형근(Hyungkeun Park) / 감수(ㄱㄴㄷ순) : 강용석(YongSeok Kang), 박창렴(Park Changryum), 조민재(Johnny Cho) / 편집 및 감수 : 신상원(Shin Sangwon) / 번역(ㄱㄴㄷ순) : 김영하(Youngha Kim), 박상영(Sangyoung Park), 이민욱(MinWook Lee), 정초아(JUNG CHOAH), 조광렬(CHO KWANG YULL), 최한동(Handong Choi)

Portuguese: OWASP Top 10 2017 - Portuguese (PDF) (ODP)
translated by Anabela Nogueira, Carlos Serrão, Guillaume Lopes, João Pinto, João Samouco, Kembolle A. Oliveira, Paulo A. Silva, Ricardo Mourato, Rui Silva, Sérgio Domingues, Tiago Reis, Vítor Magano.

Russian: OWASP Top 10-2017 - на русском языке (PDF)
translated and reviewed by JZDLin (@JZDLin), Oleksii Skachkov (@hamster4n), Ivan Kochurkin (@KvanTTT) and Taras Ivashchenko

Spanish: OWASP Top 10-2017 - Español (PDF)

Top10:2013 Completed Translations:

Arabic: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Arabic PDF
Translated by: Mohannad Shahat: [email protected], Fahad: @SecurityArk, Abdulellah Alsaheel: [email protected], Khalifa Alshamsi: [email protected] and Sabri(KING SABRI): king.s[email protected], Mohammed Aldossary: [email protected]

Chinese 2013：中文版2013 OWASP Top 10 2013 - Chinese (PDF).
项目组长： Rip、王颉， 参与人员： 陈亮、 顾庆林、 胡晓斌、 李建蒙、 王文君、 杨天识、 张在峰

Czech 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Czech (PDF) OWASP Top 10 2013 - Czech (PPTX)
CSIRT.CZ - CZ.NIC, z.s.p.o. (.cz domain registry): Petr Zavodsky: [email protected], Vaclav Klimes, Zuzana Duracinska, Michal Prokop, Edvard Rejthar, Pavel Basta

German 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - German PDF
[email protected] which is Frank Dölitzscher, Torsten Gigler, Tobias Glemser, Dr. Ingo Hanke, Thomas Herzog, Kai Jendrian, Ralf Reinhardt, Michael Schäfer

Hebrew 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Hebrew PDF
Translated by: Or Katz, Eyal Estrin, Oran Yitzhak, Dan Peled, Shay Sivan.

Japanese 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Japanese PDF
Translated by: Chia-Lung Hsieh: ryusuke.tw(at)gmail.com, Reviewed by: Hiroshi Tokumaru, Takanori Nakanowatari

Brazilian Portuguese 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Brazilian Portuguese PDF
Translated by: Carlos Serrão, Marcio Machry, Ícaro Evangelista de Torres, Carlo Marcelo Revoredo da Silva, Luiz Vieira, Suely Ramalho de Mello, Jorge Olímpia, Daniel Quintão, Mauro Risonho de Paula Assumpção, Marcelo Lopes, Caio Dias, Rodrigo Gularte

Ukrainian 2013: OWASP Top 10 2013 - Ukrainian PDF
Kateryna Ovechenko, Yuriy Fedko, Gleb Paharenko, Yevgeniya Maskayeva, Sergiy Shabashkevich, Bohdan Serednytsky

2010 Completed Translations:

Korean 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Korean PDF
Hyungkeun Park, ([email protected])

Spanish 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Spanish PDF
Daniel Cabezas Molina, Edgar Sanchez, Juan Carlos Calderon, Jose Antonio Guasch, Paulo Coronado, Rodrigo Marcos, Vicente Aguilera

French 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - French PDF
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

German 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - German PDF
[email protected] which is Frank Dölitzscher, Tobias Glemser, Dr. Ingo Hanke, Kai Jendrian, Ralf Reinhardt, Michael Schäfer

Indonesian 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Indonesian PDF
Tedi Heriyanto (coordinator), Lathifah Arief, Tri A Sundara, Zaki Akhmad

Italian 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Italian PDF
Simone Onofri, Paolo Perego, Massimo Biagiotti, Edoardo Viscosi, Salvatore Fiorillo, Roberto Battistoni, Loredana Mancini, Michele Nesta, Paco Schiaffella, Lucilla Mancini, Gerardo Di Giacomo, Valentino Squilloni

Japanese 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Japanese PDF
[email protected], Dr. Masayuki Hisada, Yoshimasa Kawamoto, Ryusuke Sakamoto, Keisuke Seki, Shin Umemoto, Takashi Arima

Chinese 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Chinese PDF
感谢以下为中文版本做出贡献的翻译人员和审核人员: Rip Torn, 钟卫林, 高雯, 王颉, 于振东

Vietnamese 2010: OWASP Top 10 2010 - Vietnamese PDF
Translation lead by Cecil Su - Translation Team: Dang Hoang Vu, Nguyen Ba Tien, Nguyen Tang Hung, Luong Dieu Phuong, Huynh Thien Tam

Hebrew 2010: OWASP Top 10 Hebrew Project - OWASP Top 10 2010 - Hebrew PDF.
Lead by Or Katz, see translation page for list of contributors.

The OWASP Top 10:2021 is sponsored by Secure Code Warrior.

The OWASP Top 10 - 2017 project was sponsored by Autodesk, and supported by the OWASP NoVA Chapter.

Thanks to Aspect Security for sponsoring earlier versions.

Goals

To collect the most comprehensive dataset related to identified application vulnerabilities to-date to enable analysis for the Top 10 and other future research as well. This data should come from a variety of sources; security vendors and consultancies, bug bounties, along with company/organizational contributions. Data will be normalized to allow for level comparison between Human assisted Tooling and Tooling assisted Humans.

Analysis Infrastructure

Plan to leverage the OWASP Azure Cloud Infrastructure to collect, analyze, and store the data contributed.

Contributions

We plan to support both known and pseudo-anonymous contributions. The preference is for contributions to be known; this immensely helps with the validation/quality/confidence of the data submitted. If the submitter prefers to have their data stored anonymously and even go as far as submitting the data anonymously, then it will have to be classified as "unverified" vs. "verified".

Verified Data Contribution

Scenario 1: The submitter is known and has agreed to be identified as a contributing party.
Scenario 2: The submitter is known but would rather not be publicly identified.
Scenario 3: The submitter is known but does not want it recorded in the dataset.

Unverified Data Contribution

Scenario 4: The submitter is anonymous. (Should we support?)

The analysis of the data will be conducted with a careful distinction when the unverified data is part of the dataset that was analyzed.

Contribution Process

There are a few ways that data can be contributed:

1. Email a CSV/Excel file with the dataset(s) to [email protected]

2. Upload a CSV/Excel file to a "contribution folder" (coming soon)

Template examples can be found in GitHub: https://github.com/OWASP/Top10/tree/master/2021/Data

Contribution Period

We plan to accept contributions to the new Top 10 from May to Nov 30, 2020 for data dating from 2017 to current.

Data Structure

The following data elements are required or optional.
The more information provided the more accurate our analysis can be.
At a bare minimum, we need the time period, total number of applications tested in the dataset, and the list of CWEs and counts of how many applications contained that CWE.
If at all possible, please provide the additional metadata, because that will greatly help us gain more insights into the current state of testing and vulnerabilities.

Contributor Name (org or anon)

Contributor Contact Email

Time period (2019, 2018, 2017)

Number of applications tested

Type of testing (TaH, HaT, Tools)

Primary Language (code)

Geographic Region (Global, North America, EU, Asia, other)

Primary Industry (Multiple, Financial, Industrial, Software, ??)

Whether or not data contains retests or the same applications multiple times (T/F)

CWE Data

A list of CWEs w/ count of applications found to contain that CWE

If at all possible, please provide core CWEs in the data, not CWE categories.
This will help with the analysis, any normalization/aggregation done as a part of this analysis will be well documented.

Note:

If a contributor has two types of datasets, one from HaT and one from TaH sources, then it is recommended to submit them as two separate datasets.
HaT = Human assisted Tools (higher volume/frequency, primarily from tooling)
TaH = Tool assisted Human (lower volume/frequency, primarily from human testing)

Survey

Similarly to the Top Ten 2017, we plan to conduct a survey to identify up to two categories of the Top Ten that the community believes are important, but may not be reflected in the data yet. We plan to conduct the survey in May or June 2020, and will be utilizing Google forms in a similar manner as last time. The CWEs on the survey will come from current trending findings, CWEs that are outside the Top Ten in data, and other potential sources.

Process

At a high level, we plan to perform a level of data normalization; however, we will keep a version of the raw data contributed for future analysis. We will analyze the CWE distribution of the datasets and potentially reclassify some CWEs to consolidate them into larger buckets. We will carefully document all normalization actions taken so it is clear what has been done.

We plan to calculate likelihood following the model we developed in 2017 to determine incidence rate instead of frequency to rate how likely a given app may contain at least one instance of a CWE. This means we aren't looking for the frequency rate (number of findings) in an app, rather, we are looking for the number of applications that had one or more instances of a CWE. We can calculate the incidence rate based on the total number of applications tested in the dataset compared to how many applications each CWE was found in.

In addition, we will be developing base CWSS scores for the top 20-30 CWEs and include potential impact into the Top 10 weighting.

Also, would like to explore additional insights that could be gleaned from the contributed dataset to see what else can be learned that could be of use to the security and development communities.

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The OWASP Top 10 is the reference standard for the most critical web application security risks. Adopting the OWASP Top 10 is perhaps the most effective first step towards changing your software development culture focused on producing secure code.

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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations have been forced to rapidly adapt in order to maintain operations. For many, this has meant adopting a much more powerful IT infrastructure that enables efficient connectivity that also supports remote workforces. While this allows businesses to stay afloat, it also significantly impacts their overall security posture, creating a bigger opportunity for cyber criminals.

These malicious actors are now targeting organizations that are not adequately prepared for cyberattacks that seek to exploit the weaknesses in their systems. This is disturbing especially now that studies have shown that criminals could be developing to the tune of about 300,000 attack programs per day.

To counter such cyber threats, most businesses tend to prioritize defensive security strategies and often forget about offensive cybersecurity. Others actually confuse the two, and what this means is that their cybersecurity posture is vulnerable.

Understanding the distinct differences between offensive and defensive cybersecurity is essential for security professionals tasked with safeguarding their organizations.

At IT Companies Network, we recommend employing a combination of offensive and defensive tactics for optimal protection.

Also Read: The Latest Statistics on Cyber Crime and Cybersecurity

What is defensive cybersecurity?

Defensive cybersecurity is crucial in strengthening an organization's security posture by preventing cyberattacks. It's akin to surrounding your home with a high wall that thieves will find hard to go over. So you do all that is possible within your means, including training employees and upgrading the systems constantly. You then sit back and hope that any form of attack will be blocked.

This approach focuses on actively guarding your systems against any attack. It's more or less a "blind" strategy where you do everything you can to constantly safeguard the network. You don't know the enemy's plans, not even whether the enemy is within or without. Common defensive security measures include firewalls, antivirus programs, VPNs, intrusion detection systems, encryption, strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. To further enhance your defensive cybersecurity strategy, understanding and implementing Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is crucial. Explore our article "What is SIEM" for a comprehensive overview. Additionally, considering the best tools for this purpose is essential - our "Top SIEM Tools" article provides valuable insights into the leading solutions in the market.

Benefits of defensive cybersecurity

Improves business continuity and resilience: Defensive security measures can help organizations to continue operating after a security breach or attack, minimizing the cost of downtime and disruptions.

Reduces regulatory and compliance risks: Organizations can mitigate the risks of regulatory penalties and fines by implementing effective defensive cyber security measures that align with regulatory requirements.

Enhances brand protection and reputation: A robust cybersecurity defense can help to protect the organization's brand and reputation by mitigating the risks of data breaches and negative publicity.

Increases employee productivity: Defensive cybersecurity measures contribute to employee productivity by reducing the risk of employee exposure to cyber threats.

Decreases insurance costs: Many insurers offer discounts to organizations that have implemented plausible defensive cyber security measures. As a result, implementing such measures can lead to significant savings on cybersecurity insurance premiums.

What is offensive cybersecurity?

Offensive cybersecurity complements the defensive approach by proactively enhancing the organization's security posture. Offensive security focuses on proactively attacking networks to exploit vulnerabilities and gather intelligence. The offensive security approach seeks to identify vulnerabilities or cyberattack vectors that attackers can potentially use. The security team will test the network and generate insights that give the true picture of the organization's security status against cyberattacks. The most common offensive security technique that companies use within their internal networks is penetration testing.
Explore more on penetration testing:
In enhancing offensive cybersecurity, consider the role of Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR). For an overview of SOAR's impact and to explore top tools in this area, read our articles "What is SOAR" and "Top SOAR Tools".

There is also another emerging angle of offensive cybersecurity that entails seeking out the enemy and disabling their plans before they accomplish their attack mission.

This latter technique of offensive approach where you go after the attacker is commonly referred to as attacking the attacker. Here, cybersecurity services companies or the internal security teams begin by using tricks like deception and subversion to gather information about identified or potential attackers. Once the security teams have sufficient information, they advance to the next levels that could entail methods like denial of service and fake exploits. This method is worth implementing albeit gradually as it's become increasingly important as a tool for both nation states and organizations to gain an edge over attackers. Imagine if you were able to discover the plans of cyber criminals and disable them before they harm your organization. Remember, this is not about seeking to harm the would-be attacker, which is actually illegal. It's simply an attempt to collapse the attackers' plans or trick them into revealing their identities. Always consult your legal teams when deploying this method.

Benefits of offensive cybersecurity

Attackers get the message: Offensive cybersecurity strategies make it clear that you are prepared and willing to fight back. The attackers get the message that you will deal ruthlessly with any planned attacks on your systems.

Intelligence gathering: Gathering intelligence about your adversary and their methods is a step closer to stopping them. You're in a much better position to understand an attacker's tools, techniques, and procedures. You can see things from their perspective and learn how they operate.

Discourages future attacks: You're essentially showing your attacker that you're not an easy target. You're not just sitting back and waiting for them to harm your organization.

Information sharing with authorities: Your organization can share information with law enforcement and the intelligence community in a way that is mutually beneficial. When these entities have access to this kind of intel, they can better protect against attacks on the larger ecosystem that includes your business partners and customers.

Also Read: What is Red Teaming in Cybersecurity?

The clear difference between offensive and defensive cybersecurity

To best understand the difference between offensive and defensive cybersecurity, we simply focus on the meaning of the words offend and defense. To offend means attack, while defend means guard. So then, offensive strategies are purely about attacking your systems as well as those of the enemies where you can. By "attacking" your systems, you can discover hidden loopholes that the enemy can exploit. By attacking the enemy's systems, you "bring them down" and disorient their plans. Governments around the world use immense resources to track down and thwart planned attacks both online and offline. When they do this to target cyber criminals, then this is part of offensive cybersecurity.

Offensive vs defensive cybersecurity: Which approach companies deploy?

Companies should deploy both defensive and offensive cybersecurity strategies. Defensive strategies will protect the company's networks against the most common risks. Offensive strategies will scatter advanced attacks that can easily bypass even your strongest defenses.

From a big picture perspective, offensive outcomes can be used to strengthen the defensive strategy. Let's say you perform an attack on the company's systems and unearth alarming vulnerabilities that criminals can easily exploit. The insights from this offense can be used to expand your defenses so that they cover the newly exposed weaknesses.

Think about it this way: if you only have a defensive strategy, you're always going to be playing catch-up. You're always going to be reacting to the latest threat. This will give the cyber criminals the opportunity to move miles ahead of you, so much so that soon your defenses will not block the latest and most advanced attacks. But if you have an offensive cybersecurity strategy too, you can be proactive in anticipating threats and taking steps to mitigate them before they cause damage.

Recommended reading: How to assess your company's cybersecurity posture

Conclusion

You probably know that cybersecurity threats are becoming more and more sophisticated. What was once considered a problem for large businesses is now a concern for businesses of all sizes including new ones. Unfortunately, the defensive security approach that previously enjoyed "monopoly" status is no longer sufficient. It's now a question of deploying both defensive and offensive strategies, with penetration testing being a key component of the latter, to optimize the overall security posture, rather than choosing one over the other. Regular penetration testing ensures that both strategies are continuously informed and updated to counter emerging cyber threats.

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Offensive vs Defensive Cyber Security: What is the Difference?

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Explore the essential roles of offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies in today's digital landscape. Understand their differences and benefits.