What a cybersecurity analyst does and how to become one
Security analysts play a critical role in defending organizations' sensitive information from cyberattacks. Learn more about the position and how to pursue it.
Enterprise organizations are constantly in need of cybersecurity professionals. According to the ISC2 "Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2023," the number of cybersecurity roles reached an all-time high in 2023 and is expected to continue growing in the coming years, despite advancements in AI and automation.
Because of this ongoing growth, many job seekers are looking to cybersecurity as a long-term career option, with the cybersecurity analyst position as one of the most popular points of entry into the field.
Roles and responsibilities can differ slightly from organization to organization, sometimes causing confusion among job seekers. That said, cybersecurity analyst roles generally require unique skills and deliver different organizational results compared to other roles, such as cybersecurity engineers and information security analysts.
Let's explore common understandings of cybersecurity analyst jobs and how they differ from other security-centric positions.
What does a cybersecurity analyst do?
As the name suggests, cybersecurity analysts primarily focus on the analysis of data from various security tools to identify suspicious activities and potential threats in systems and networks. The security analyst's ultimate goal is to help prevent security breaches that could damage the business.
Analysts typically conduct their work alongside fellow cybersecurity professionals in a security operations center. Many SOCs have cybersecurity analysts of varying seniority, ranging from entry-level roles to advanced positions.
Cybersecurity analysts are key players in the SOC. Many SOCs have analysts of varying seniority, with tier 1 analysts responsible for the most basic, entry-level work.
When cybersecurity analysts detect suspicious activities, they begin the incident response process. This involves taking necessary mitigation measures and documenting the details of confirmed security incidents and any attempted or successful data breaches.
In addition to threat analysis and remediation, cybersecurity analysts commonly handle the following tasks:
Generate security reports, and communicate them to relevant parties.
Day-to-day responsibilities depend on a cybersecurity analyst's seniority, with senior analysts typically more involved in high-level strategy.
Cybersecurity analysts largely focus on the use of security tools for monitoring, detection and response duties.
What is the difference between a cybersecurity analyst and a cybersecurity engineer?
While the duties of cybersecurity analysts and cybersecurity engineers might overlap, their job functions have distinct differences.
Cybersecurity analysts largely focus on the use of security tools for monitoring, detection and response duties.
On the other hand, security engineers focus on the design, deployment and ongoing operations of the security tools that protect the network and offer visibility and detection of cyberthreats.
What is the difference between a cybersecurity analyst and an information security analyst?
In some organizations, cybersecurity analysts and information security analysts perform the same functions, and their titles are interchangeable. But, in others, there are differences.
In some cases, the scope of what information security analysts protect is broader in comparison. Their responsibilities might include, for example, protecting both physical and digital content against unauthorized access, changes, modifications and improper destruction, as well as ensuring the proper destruction of physical and digital records when necessary.
Information security analysts typically focus on information protection policies, regulatory compliance, risk management and the physical security of organizational facilities.
Cybersecurity analysts' roles, on the other hand, are narrower in scope, focusing on protecting digital systems, services and data on the corporate network.
While some organizations require entry-level cybersecurity analysts to hold bachelor's degrees in computer science, others accept candidates with relevant skills and experience. In fact, ISC2 found in its workforce study that 70% of security professionals prefer entry-level experience over degrees.
How to become a cybersecurity analyst
Becoming a qualified security analyst is no easy task. It requires a deep understanding of the following:
How computer systems and networks operate.
How to protect systems and networks.
How to gain visibility into attacks against users, systems and data.
The ability to understand analysis output from system and network security tools.
Proficiency in the use of vulnerability assessment and penetration testing tools.
The ability to execute threat remediation processes using manual and automated methods.
Cybersecurity analyst soft skills
Soft skills necessary for the cybersecurity analyst role include the following:
Problem-solving and critical-thinking capabilities.
Attention to detail.
Communication skills and an ability to liaise effectively with both technical and nontechnical team members.
Cybersecurity analyst job outlook
While it's important to note cybersecurity is not immune to macroeconomic woes, the outlook for security analysts is the best it's ever been, with ongoing job growth, relatively high salaries and a variety of possible career paths. Additionally, the ISC2 workforce study found 70% of cybersecurity workers are either "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their jobs.
That said, the much-publicized rise in demand means many professionals -- from both unrelated and related fields -- are likely considering or pursuing cybersecurity careers.
Given widespread interest in the cybersecurity analyst role, it's important for job seekers to level up their hard and soft skills to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. This might include the following:
Demonstrating practical, professional experience in the field, such as through internships.
Workers who have successfully broken into the cybersecurity field will likely find plenty of opportunities for advancement and a number of possible career paths. Many skills are transferrable between cybersecurity analyst, cybersecurity engineer and information security analyst roles, for example. Thus, moving from one role to another is relatively painless, opening additional professional opportunities with varying levels of seniority.
Andrew Froehlich is founder of InfraMomentum, an enterprise IT research and analyst firm, and president of West Gate Networks, an IT consulting company. He has been involved in enterprise IT for more than 20 years.
