This process includes a spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member who is disabled due to a service-connected injury, or a spouse of a service member killed while on active duty. The Merit Promotion program lets a current or former federal employee apply for a job without having to compete with the general public or people with Veterans’ Preference. Instead, these current employees compete with other competitive service employees. The federal government recognizes the need for a well-trained workforce. Their willingness and ability to provide top-notch training is a notable benefit for many employees. Even workers with aspirations to find their place in the private sector often spend several years working for the government to take advantage of the training.
Provides the support, administration, and maintenance necessary to ensure effective and efficient information technology (IT) system performance and security. Provides specialized denial and deception operations and collection of cybersecurity information that may be used to develop intelligence. Performs highly-specialized review and evaluation of incoming cybersecurity information to determine its usefulness for intelligence. “The important thing is to understand that you’re looking for a company that’s going to invest in your growth. You’re looking for a role that puts you in the right environment to learn and grow.” All salary data represents average annual total pay in the US, according to Glassdoor (June 2023).
Cybersecurity job outlook
Advocates legal and policy changes, and makes a case on behalf of client via a wide range of written and oral work products, including legal briefs and proceedings. Manages and administers processes and tools that enable the organization to identify, document, and access intellectual capital and information content. Collects, processes, preserves, analyzes, and presents computer-related evidence in support of network vulnerability mitigation and/or criminal, fraud, counterintelligence, or law enforcement investigations. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
- Working in cyber security doesn’t always mean you’ll be behind a screen, however.
- While there are alternative pay schedules for federal workers, about 70 percent of the civil service positions fall under the GS system.
- For example, a cybersecurity engineering job description may call for a master’s degree.
- Below are some of the common motivations for seeking government employment.
- Newer roles such as malware analyst and incident responder are emerging to better combat threats.
- If you have a background in information technology (IT) you may already have some of the technical skills, and many of the workplace skills carry over from a wide variety of occupations.
To help make your job description stand out, be sure to note the significant role the cybersecurity specialist will play in customer trust and safety and in business operations functioning smoothly. Cybersecurity analysts are responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring, and maintaining an organization’s data and information. As a cybersecurity analyst, you’ll be tasked with identifying vulnerabilities within systems, resolving them, and then responding to cybersecurity breaches, such as hacking, when they occur. Cybersecurity professionals assess security risks, design security strategies, and implement security technologies to protect organizations from cyber attacks. There are numerous positions within the field of cybersecurity, which each perform distinct duties as they seek to protect organizations from harm.
Tips to Become a Cybersecurity Engineer
“Some cybersecurity professionals lean on the social side—they are less ‘technical’ and focus more on securing things on a human level,” Cambell says. To secure a job as a cybersecurity engineer, you’ll typically need at least 3 years of experience in an entry-level IT job role. Once you have your education, work and internship experience and cybersecurity certifications, cybersecurity specialist courses you can start applying for cybersecurity engineer jobs. As a cybersecurity analyst, you’ll likely work with a larger security team of other cybersecurity professionals. You may also need to collaborate with other teams within your company (legal, IT, public relations) or share your findings with other organizations or the greater cybersecurity community.
