Cybersecurity analyst jobs are becoming an increasingly popular career path. This is due to a combination of factors such as a growing interest in technology, and the ability to utilize one’s skills to solve problems and maintain the security of digital information. With businesses moving to the cloud, and doing more and more business online, so too have their cybersecurity risks. Thus, they have an even greater need for security specialists to help identify and mitigate cybersecurity threats.
If you are considering a career in cybersecurity, this guide explains what cybersecurity analysts do, the skills employers commonly look for, available job types, qualifications, salary factors, and how to prepare for your first role.
What Are Cybersecurity Analyst Jobs?
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for protecting an organization’s computers, networks, and digital information from various threats. While this job involves reviewing and responding to security alerts, it also involves a great deal of investigation, research and analyzing potential threats, and reporting incidents. Additionally, cybersecurity analysts are expected to actively collaborate and work with other IT staff members to help build and enhance the overall security of an organization.
If you are considering a career in Cybersecurity, this guide gives information on what cybersecurity analysts do, various job types, required qualifications, potential salaries, and how to land your first job.
Cybersecurity analysts are employed in fields such as:
- Banking and financial services
- Healthcare
- Technology
- Government
- Telecommunications
- Education
- E-commerce
- Manufacturing
- Consulting
- Cloud services
As nearly all modern businesses employ digital systems, nearly all industries can benefit from someone with cybersecurity skills.
What Does a Cybersecurity Analyst Do?
Due to the variety of things that can happen in cybersecurity, a given day for an analyst can vary. Some days can include more mundane tasks like monitoring. Other days can include investigating suspicious activities and even assisting in responding to security incidents.
Aside from these, other regular tasks can include identifying potential threats and security incidents, and assisting in completing security incident reports.
Analysts can also be called upon to assist in updating and maintaining security policies.
As communication is a critical component of the job, analysts can also assist in communicating incidents to network and system admins and management.
Most employers are looking for candidates that can communicate security incidents and solve problems, as opposed to only identifying issues.
Types of Cybersecurity Analyst Jobs
If you only search for the title “Cybersecurity Analyst”, you can unnecessarily limit your job search.
There are plenty of other titles employers use for similar responsibilities. You can expand your job search using the following title variations:
SOC Analyst
It is SO easy to understand that these analysts monitor security events and investigate alerts.
SOC positions are often broken into levels like Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Entry-level analysts usually start with alert monitoring and preliminary case work and move on to more complex case work and incident analysis.
This position may be called Information Security Analyst, Cyber Security Analyst, or a similar title.
This job may require technical security, risk assessment, policy development, and vulnerability management and security awareness.
Cloud Security Analyst positions focus on securing environments that are hosted on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud.
As the industry moves to cloud computing, knowledge of securing environments in the cloud becomes more valuable.
Vulnerability Management Analyst positions are also available. These positions require identifying security weaknesses and assisting with remediating vulnerabilities.
Incident Response Analysts are also in demand. These analysts usually work more complex cases and do case work dealing with more time-critical situations.
Strong command-line skills, and a good foundation in networking, understanding normal behavior on a network and identifying anomalies is necessary.
Familiarity with operating systems like Windows and Linux is also helpful.
A good foundation in various technologies is helpful when applying for an entry-level position in the field.
A good foundation in various aspects of cybersecurity is learning about the different components of a system from a system administrator’s perspective (user management, permissions, processes, logs, command-line tools, etc.).
SIEM Tools
Also, it is important to learn about various Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools and how they are used to analyze log data. Often, job postings will have experience with Microsoft Sentinel or similar tools.
Incident Response
Analysts must be able to recognize and research anomalous activity to identify threats. It is also necessary to understand how to document findings and help improve the organization’s information security practices and defenses.
Vulnerability Management
As part of managing and ensuring the security of an organization’s IT infrastructure, threat modeling, attacking, and defending techniques need to be learned.
Concepts of technology and some background in cybersecurity help a lot when dealing with the seemingly-endless writing and documenting that many security jobs require.
It is rare to find a job posting in the cybersecurity field stating a university degree is absolutely necessary, but requirements can vary drastically from employer to employer.
Often, a bachelor’s degree in the following fields are common: Cybersecurity, IT, Computer Science, and Engineering, and Information Systems.
However, oftentimes, relevant work or personal projects are more heavily weighted by employers.
Job descriptions can vary across different employers, and some may specifically ask for a degree while others may say degree is preferred. You may always want to read the job postings carefully.
Junior Cybersecurity Analyst
A junior analyst is responsible for more basic, foundational tasks in the field and is supervised by senior staff.
Some tasks can include reviewing alerts, security logs, and reports, and even assisting in more basic aspects of security incidents.
This role is a stepping stone for more senior roles in the field.
Skills Required for Cybersecurity Analyst Jobs
Cybersecurity combines several areas of technology. You do not necessarily need expert-level knowledge of everything before applying for an entry-level role, but strong fundamentals can improve your chances.
Networking Fundamentals
Understanding how devices communicate across networks is extremely important.
Useful concepts include:
- TCP/IP
- DNS
- HTTP and HTTPS
- IP addresses
- Ports
- Routers
- Firewalls
- VPNs
- Network protocols
If you understand normal network behavior, identifying unusual activity becomes easier.
Operating Systems
Cybersecurity analysts commonly work with Windows and Linux systems.
Learning basic system administration, permissions, processes, logs, command-line tools, and user management can create a strong technical foundation.
SIEM Tools
Security Information and Event Management tools collect and analyze security-related information from different systems.
Analysts use them to search logs, investigate alerts, identify suspicious patterns, and create security reports.
You may see tools such as Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk, or similar SIEM technologies mentioned in job descriptions.
Incident Response
Cybersecurity analysts should understand the basic incident response process.
This includes identifying suspicious activity, investigating what happened, helping contain the issue, documenting findings, and improving defenses afterward.
Vulnerability Management
Companies regularly check systems for weaknesses.
An analyst should understand what vulnerabilities are, how organizations prioritize them, and why some weaknesses require more urgent attention than others.
Communication Skills
Technical skills alone are not enough.
Security professionals frequently need to explain findings to people who may not have cybersecurity backgrounds. Clear writing, documentation, teamwork, and communication can make a major difference in your career.
Can I Get a Cybersecurity Analyst Job?
Yes, first entry-level cybersecurity positions are available, and the competition may vary with the employer and location.
Do a job search for the following positions:
- Junior Cybersecurity Analyst
- Junior Security Analyst
- Level 1 SOC Analyst
- Security Operations Analyst
- Information Security Analyst
- Cybersecurity Associate
- Security Monitoring Analyst
You may gain similar job related skills with other jobs like network administration or systems administration, IT support, technical support, and other related jobs. These may help you understand how real world systems, users and permissions work.
How to Gain Experience if You Can’t Get a Cybersecurity Job?
An obstacle beginners may face is being asked for cybersecurity experience when they have never held a position in the field. One way to get around this is to partake in projects that demonstrate the skills you have learned. One way to gain these skills is through workshops and online classes.
You might use virtual machines to create a secure home lab, learn to analyze security logs, learn to administer both Windows and Linux, do legal cybersecurity training labs, or create and document your security projects.
The goal is learning and demonstrating legitimate defensive security skills.
Having a portfolio that describes the tools and methods you’ve used is also a great idea.
The value of a well-documented project is that you have something real to talk about during an interview.
Cybersecurity Analyst Salary
There are a lot of factors that impact salaries, including your location, industry, experience, employer, responsibilities, certifications, etc.
For example, senior analysts with expertise in cloud security may earn a lot more than someone in their first security role.
It’s always smart to look at current job postings and salary information, and see what’s appropriate for your location and experience.
Take into account the entire compensation package as well. Some employers offer remote or hybrid work, bonus, training, or certification funding, retirement benefits, or additional compensation for on-call work.
Where to Find Cybersecurity Analyst Jobs
There are a lot of general job posting sites out there, but you shouldn’t just rely on one.
- Major job boards
- Professional networking platforms
- Company career pages
- Technology-focused job boards
- Cybersecurity communities
- University career services
- Internship programs
If you don’t see “cybersecurity analyst” postings, look for other jobs that are similar. Companies often use different names for similar positions.
Setting up job alerts for postings that you are interested in can help you stay informed of newly posted jobs.
Create a Strong Cybersecurity Resume
Your resume must help hiring managers quickly determine your technical skills.
Include separate sections for your technical skills, education, certifications, employment, and projects.
Don’t list 100 different technology skills. Discuss the skills and tools that you would be able to cover in an interview.
Rather than listing SIEM, discuss what you accomplished with it. Can you demonstrate experience analyzing sample logs, investigating authentication events, and writing queries for abnormal behavior?
If possible, tailor your resume to each position.
If the position repeatedly mentions incident response, Windows security, networking, or SIEM, highlight your experience with those areas.
Never lie about your experience or qualifications.
Preparing for a Cybersecurity Analyst Interview
Cybersecurity interviews often test both technical understanding and problem-solving ability.
Interviewers may ask you questions about networking, operating systems, common security concepts, authentication, logs, vulnerabilities, or incident response.
Scenario-based questions are also common.
Instead of memorizing answers, practice explaining how you would investigate a problem.
A useful approach is to consider:
- What information is available?
- What systems may be affected?
- What evidence should be reviewed?
- What should be prioritized?
- Who needs to be informed?
- How should the investigation be documented?
Employers may care as much about your reasoning and communication as they do about memorized terminology.
Telecommuting Cybersecurity Analyst Positions
Technically, all cybersecurity positions are remote as long as the employer is ok with remote work.
There are many security teams and departments that work 100% remotely. There are also many teams that use a hybrid remote/in-office work arrangement.
Not all jobs, however, can be done remotely. There are sensitive systems and operational requirements that may force a security position to be based out of a secured/regulated facility.
When searching for remote cybersecurity positions, pay attention to the location requirements. Just because the job is listed as “remote”, that does not mean the employer will not require the position to be based in a certain region or country.
Is Cybersecurity Analyst a Good First Career?
Continuous learning is integral to success in the field of cybersecurity. For the individuals that are interested in technology, this field offers an exciting career opportunity.
However, it is important to know that this field is not about hacking like most people assume. This field encompasses lots of documentation, communication, analysis, troubleshooting, and management.
Successful professionals in this field are quick to adjust with evolving technology.
The more foundational knowledge you have in computer technology, the easier more advanced security concepts will be to learn.
How to Break Into Cybersecurity
A foundation in IT and computer networks will lay the groundwork to understand advanced security concepts, and help ease the learning curve for you.
It is best to have a good baseline of knowledge before jumping into more advanced concepts.
As you build this baseline, you will gain a better understanding of cybersecurity and see what certifications are out there.
More importantly, build your resume and develop your projects. This will help you craft the perfect resume to land your first job or internship!
It’s common for job postings to have seemingly non-transferrable skill combinations. Usually the poster creates a perception of their “ideal candidate” rather than a comprehensive “must-have” qualification list.
When evaluating a potential position you’ll want to consider if you meet a reasonable threshold of the requirements and if there are mechanisms available to aid in the acquisition of the skills you are lacking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cybersecurity Analyst Jobs
What skills are necessary to become a cybersecurity analyst?
There are no hard prerequisites to get into the field. People come in through various paths including security and computer science related degrees, IT and cybersecurity related experience, projects, and internships.
Can you get into cybersecurity analysis with no experience?
There are entry level positions available, but any IT or cybersecurity related experience would help you be more competitive. Labs and projects can also strengthen your application.
Is coding a necessary skill for a cybersecurity analyst?
While not required for every position, scripting can assist with automation and analysis.
What should I study first for a career in cybersecurity?
There are a variety of fundamentals you can learn to build a base. This includes networking, two of the most common OS, and some basics of security. These allow a basis for understanding more advanced topics.
Are jobs in cybersecurity analyst remotely?
Remote work can be available but it is dependent on the employer, industry, location and security requirements.
What is the difference between a SOC analyst and a cybersecurity analyst?
A SOC analyst focuses primarily on security event monitoring, alert investigation, and incident response, while a cybersecurity analyst encompasses a broader scope of work including, but not limited to SOC, vulnerability management, security assessments, and support for policy development and other work.
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity Analyst positions encompass a wide range of specializations and capabilities that span from early to mid-career, and offer an array of career progression opportunities and pathways for individuals who are passionate about technology and digital security.
Entry level individuals have the opportunity to gain experience in Specialist roles in the SOC, gain higher level positions in Specialist Cloud Security, Incident Response and Vulnerability Management, progress to Security Engineering roles and more.
Fundamentals are most important for early career individuals. The security industry is moving at a rapid pace with new threats evolving constantly, making the development of new skills imperative to a successful career.
Cybersecurity Analyst roles are attainable by individuals who have a solid technical background, practical work experience and learning experience, as well as strong interpersonal skills and passionate curiosity.
