What if I tell you that by 2028, humanity's collective data will reach a mind-boggling 394 zettabytes? Yeah, that is 394 followed by 21 zeros. And with AI technologies like ChartGPT, GitHub Copilot and self-driving cars, we are more connected and reliant on digital tools than ever before.
And does this digital transformation also mean we are more vulnerable to hackers and cyber threats? As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats. Cybercrime is on the rise and it's not just something you read about in the news. Cybercriminals are targeting everything, hospitals, schools, even big tech companies. If cybercrime were a country, it would have the third largest GDP right after the USA and China.
And what's even more scary is that every time you shop online, every post you make on Instagram, and every hour you scroll on snapchat every click you make could potentially expose your personal information to hackers and that's where cyber security engineers comes in with the increase in cyber threat companies across every sector defense healthcare banking tech and education desperately seek for professional to protect their data whether it's securing medical records safeguarding financial transaction or preventing massive data breaches the demand for cyber security island is soaring Right now, there are over 21,000 cybersecurity job openings in India alone. And globally, we are facing a gap of 5.5 million cybersecurity professionals by 2025. So, how do you get started in this high-demand, high-paying field? If you are wondering how to become a cybersecurity engineer and be on the front lines of this digital battle, you are in the right place.
In this video, I'll walk you through a roadmap starting from the basic and moving into more specialized cybersecurity skills. It's a journey that will take you from beginner to expert and trust me, it's a path worth taking. So without any further ado, let's get started.
Before we dive into the details, let's take a quick look at this roadmap to becoming a cybersecurity engineer. This structure path will help you understand the key skills, certification and hands-on experience needed to enter this field. It all starts by mastering operating systems like Windows, Linux, macOS, along with learning of programming languages like Python, Rust, Go and security tools like Kali Linux, Metaspoilt and encryption technologies are crucial for ethical hacking and threat analysis. Certification also plays a major role. Beginners can start with Comtia Security Plus while advanced professionals can go for CEH, CISA or CISSP.
Networking and cloud security knowledge is essential as companies shift towards cloud-based infrastructure. Understanding concepts like Zero Trust, the CIA Triad and different cyber attack types strengthen your security foundation. Finally, real-world experience through bug bounty programs and projects like password analyzer or user authentication system will help you build practical skills. Now that we have a roadmap in place, let's move on to the presentation where we will discuss each step in more detail and guide you on how to start your cybersecurity journey.
So starting off with the very first pointer of who is a cybersecurity engineer. So a cybersecurity engineer is a professional who is responsible for protecting computer systems, network and data from cyber threat. So type of cyber threat includes hacking, virus and malware, phishing, denial of service and Trojans.
Moving ahead to what does a cybersecurity engineer do? So as a cybersecurity engineer, your main job is to keep systems secure and protect data. But what does that actually mean? Let me break it down for you. First, network security.
You will set up firewalls and monitor network to prevent unauthorized access. Second, threat detection and response. You will identify cyber threats early and take action before they cause damage. Then, security testing.
You will run penetration tests to find weakness before hackers do. Then we have incident handling. If a cyber attack happens, you will be the one who is fixing it. Then we have compliance and policy enforcement.
Many industries have strict cybersecurity rules and you will ensure that companies follow them. Then we have security awareness and training. You will also educate employees on how to stay safe online because let's be honest, humans are often the weakest link in the security.
So now you are clear about what a cybersecurity engineer do, let's talk about how much can you earn in being one. So cybersecurity is just not exciting, it really pays well. Here's a rough idea of what you can expect. So entry level salary less than 1 year can expect a salary of around 4.7 LPA.
Mid-career of experience between 5 to 9 years can expect a salary of 10 LPA. Then one having experience of 1 to 4 years can expect a salary of 8 LPA and 10 plus years experience can earn a salary of 20 LPA. So as you gain experience your salary jumps significantly. Now talking about the skills you need to become a cyber security engineer.
Alright, now let's talk about what you actually need to know to become a cyber security engineer. It all starts with technical skills like programming knowledge, operating system, ethical hacking and penetration testing, web security, cryptography and networking. First and foremost, you must understand how network works.
Why? Because most cyber attacks target network. You will need to know about firewalls, these acts as security gate, intrusion detection system, IDS, they help detect suspicious activity, then VPN or virtual private network which is used to secure internet connection, then networking protocol like TCP, IP, DNS, HTTP and HTTPS. These are the rules that allow data to travel on internet securely. Then we have programming knowledge.
Yes, coding is important in cyber security. You don't need to be the hardcore developer. but understanding these languages can make your job much easier.
For example, Python, C or C++, widely used for automation malware analysis and penetration testing. Then we have SQL, which is critical for preventing SQL injection, attacks and securing databases. Then we have Bash and PowerShell, which are useful for scripting and automating the task. Okay, moving ahead, we have operating system knowledge. So cyber attack can happen on any system.
So you must be comfortable with Windows, Linux and Mac OS, learn how this system works and how to secure them. Then installation and configuration, GUI versus CLI, get hands-on with both the graphical interface and command line. Then we have permission and access control, managing user privilege to prevent unauthorized access, then performing CRUD operation, this means handling file and database securely.
Operating system knowledge is crucial because many security threats exploit OS vulnerabilities. Moving ahead, we have ethical hacking and penetration testing. Alright, now here's the fun part, hacking.
Ethical hacking is all about simulating cyber attacks to find security weakness before real hackers do. It all helps in identifying and fixing the vulnerabilities before they get explored, strengthening system defense, preventing data breaches and financial losses, ensuring companies follow cybersecurity regulation. If you're into ethical hacking, here are some of the key areas to focus on.
So like fundamental of hacking and security, networking and protocol security, penetration testing methodologies, web application security, system and network exploitation. Sounds exciting right? Moving ahead to the next skill you need to master is web application security and cryptography. Many attacks happen on web applications so securing them is a must. This includes common web vulnerabilities like SQL injection and XSS attack, writing code that isn't easy to hack, then authentication and authorization.
Making sure that only right people get the access. Then session management, protecting user session from hacking. Web application firewall, filtering out malicious traffic.
And then there is cryptography, the science of securing information. So cybersecurity engineer use cryptography to encrypt and protect sensitive data. You should learn about encryption algorithm, hashing and integrity checks, public key infrastructure, also known as PKI, secure communication protocol.
password security. Now let's talk about cyber security tools and technology which you need to master. First is firewalls, then we have antivirus software, then we have encryption technologies, Kali Linux, Kain and Abel, Nikto, John the Ripper and Metasport. So moving ahead with the last component for this particular topic, we have cyber security project ideas. So project is the only way by which you can make yourself stand out from the rest of the cloud and gain hands-on experience.
So talking about the very first project we have Python Keylogger. So Python Keylogger project is a cybersecurity tool that records keystroke on a system using libraries like pine input. Then we have password analyzer.
So a password analyzer is a tool designed to evaluate the strength and security of the password. Then we have image encryption. The Image Encryption Project uses algorithms like AES, DES, or RSA to secure images requiring a key for decryption.
Then lastly, we have User Authentication System. The User Authentication System project focuses on creating a secure login system with features like multi-factor authentication, biometric verification, and password logins. Becoming a cybersecurity engineer takes effort. But it's a rewarding and high-paying career, with cyber threats increasing, organizations are actively seeking skilled professionals to safeguard their system. If you enjoy problem-solving, ethical hacking, and protecting sensitive data, this could be the perfect career for you.
To help you build a strong foundation in cybersecurity, Intellipaat, an authorized certification provider approved by EC Council, offers a top-tier cybersecurity program in collaboration with EC Council and iHub IIT Roorkee. This program is designed to help you with the knowledge and hands-on skill required to tackle real-world security challenges. It covers two of the most recognized certifications in the industry, Certified Ethical Hacker, CEH and Certified Information System Security Professional. With expert-led training, practical projects and industry-recognized certification, this course ensures that you are job-ready for a thriving cybersecurity career. Additionally, to help you get started, I have created a roadmap for becoming a cybersecurity engineer and uploaded the same on the GitHub.
Make sure to check it out in the link given below in the description. That's all from my side. If you have liked this video, kindly hit the like and subscribe button for Intellipaat's YouTube channel.