Information security is one of the most promising areas in IT. To study this field, you should first understand the top 5 specializations available to professionals.
Anti-Fraud Analyst
An anti-fraud analyst is in demand in banking and fintech companies. This person is responsible for the security of online financial transactions for individuals, for example, in online banking. He or she sets and monitors limits on the number of purchases on one bank card, the maximum amount of a single purchase on one card or by one user, and the number of bank cards used by one user in a certain period. An anti-fraud analyst keeps records and analyzes user purchase history to identify suspicious transactions.
Reverse engineer or code analyst
The reverse engineer's tasks include a detailed analysis of the program code to reveal the program's vulnerabilities to cyberattacks. The code analyst must understand the general programming principles, know C++, ASM, and Python, and know the types of vulnerabilities OWASP Top 10 and SANS Top-25. After analyzing the code and identifying the threats, the reverse engineer recommends how to protect the system.
Information systems security engineer
Information systems security engineer combines the knowledge and skills of a developer with knowledge of information security means. Information systems security engineers should know CI\CD programming languages, AWS or MS Azure cloud, popular frameworks, anti-virus, and DLP systems. Information systems security engineer develops internal information security and cyber-attack tracking systems in companies.
Cyber forensic network specialist
Cyber forensic network specialists investigate computer or financial crimes: hacked servers, desktops, DBMS. Cyber forensic network specialists search for traces of hacking, reconstruct cyber-attack scenarios, timelines of events, and record violations. Cyber forensic network specialists collect evidence and expose criminal gangs of hackers. Cyber forensic network specialists must master 5 programming languages, understand how cyber defenses work and how hackers circumvent them.
Penetration tester (pentester)
The penetration tester tests the system and checks how well the data is protected. Pentester identifies weaknesses and strengthens data protection. The penetration tester investigates the integrity of an information system. Pentesters are usually hired by large IT and financial companies that operate with big data. Pentesters need in-depth knowledge of Windows/Linux, networks, and vulnerabilities.