Cybersecurity is an issue that has begun to generate a great deal of interest from companies of all kinds, lovers of new technologies, and users from anywhere on the planet. Unstoppable digital development has made the protection of information crucial to avoiding sensitive data theft and other virtual crimes.
Knowing how to approach network security and react to internet privacy threats is a challenge that companies face almost every day. The safety of our bank details, professional projects, and confidential documents is dependent on the cybersecurity strength of the companies we choose to trust.
Our relationship with the technological world is constantly evolving due to advances in technology, new platforms, and changes in our environment. The coronavirus crisis has been a major game-changer for people across the world and, with the drastic increase of teleworking employees, it has highlighted how important it is to increase virtual security measures. Cyberattacks such as phishing, spoofing, and ransomware attacks have been increasingly common over the last few months.
The coronavirus crisis has made it a priority
When companies have no control over their employees' computing environment, the dangers they face increase. Therefore, the development of programs and protocols that avoid compromising their security must become a priority. According to the report 'COVID-19: Cyber and the remote workforce' published by Deloitte, more than a thousand insecure devices are connected every day to networks of 30% of US, British, and German companies. The data speaks for itself.
It is a fact that cybersecurity will be increasingly integrated into business strategies, so directing your career in this direction can lead to great success. With the use of more and more home computers to carry out professional activity outside the office, the need for cybersecurity professionals to implement safe environments is obvious.
If you have already decided to become an expert in cybersecurity and want users, companies, and administrations to fight to get you on their team, the time has come for you to learn the skills that will help you keep identities secure and protect the critical information of individuals and organizations. Below we reveal the five competencies or skills that will make you shine in a sector that is as promising as it is challenging:
1) Anticipate future challenges
It’s not just about being satisfied with the current situation of your company's equipment, but about having enough vision to anticipate future needs. Establishing effective security policies and guidelines that serve for both current and future challenges is essential for avoiding catastrophes.
This means digging deeper into any process that requires user interaction to evaluate how to ensure a safe work environment. What dangers do devices, systems, and applications face? Asking questions like this is essential to ensure security in environments where data is as fundamental a value as it is coveted by hackers.
2) Decisiveness is fundamental
Your clients don't need endless explanations to understand that you are important. Show your worth by putting what you know into practice! Make them see that you are in control of the situation and that, thanks to you, they will avoid being the victims of cyberattacks.
Take special care to understand the perception of users about their security and the threats they face and offer effective measures to alleviate those concerns. You will help them avoid attacks on their private and company networks by taking care of their servers, networks, and files,. You will become a key figure in the organization chart of the company by giving them impeccable work.
3) Emotional intelligence is key
The loss of an individual’s photographs with important sentimental value should be as important to you as the loss of a large company’s commercial information. In any situation, people need to feel heard and have their needs taken into account without having their value questioned.
Emotional intelligence also helps you to adapt quickly in changing environments and master your stress when solutions are required in a very short period of time. Never forget that you work with human beings as well as their machines.
4) Master social engineering
When we talk about social engineering, we are talking about the psychological methods used by cybercriminals to obtain information, commit fraud, and sneak into the computers of their victims.
Learning about common hacker manipulation techniques, such as phone calls from people posing as organizations (voice phishing) or sending USB drives with malware to attack a corporate network (baiting), will allow you to anticipate situations of extortion or theft educate your clients about how they can protect themselves. By putting yourself in the shoes of a hacker, you can imagine what steps you would take and find ways to stop them thereby avoiding attacks and information leaks before they happen.
5) Master team management
When working with a company, It is very likely that you will need to communicate, coordinate, and interact with professionals from all areas of the organization. Everyone needs to understand the risks to which they are exposed and to understand and respect the benefits of having a cybersecurity expert in the company.
You will have to understand how to deal with very different work approaches, styles, and times. You may be required to develop disparate management models for each team without losing sight of your mission: ensuring information security. Good team management will be one of your greatest tools in this exciting profession and it will help you be recognized and valued at your company in a very short period of time.
If you incorporate these five skills that are commonly put into practice by the top cybersecurity experts into your workflow, we assure you that you will quickly succeed in becoming a professional who is prepared to give effective responses to threats in the digital environment.
If you are ready to learn more about the exciting world of fighting cybercrime, you should join our intensive Cybersecurity Bootcamp that will give you the skills you need to start your career in this sector of rapid growth and infinite possibilities. You are just one step away from becoming an expert in cybersecurity!
