Cybercrime is a dilemma that every business needs to tackle with a calm mind. Due to the increased nature of progressively advanced breaches, companies have been forced to look for technology consultants who can exploit best practices and help protect the company’s digital properties.
This situation has resulted in a surge in demand for security analysts. These practitioners reduce risk by constantly reviewing business IT networks for new vulnerability exposures and weaknesses.
Table of Contents
Who is a Data Security Analyst?
A security analyst is held responsible for ensuring the data security and credibility of an organization.
To do this, compliance analysts must be well-versed in all aspects of the company’s information security and collaborate through divisions to find and fix vulnerabilities in enterprise security programs.
They are still in favor of boosting the company’s overall security. They do this by assessing the effectiveness of each protection measure implemented by the organization.
Once recognized, they must collaborate closely with managers and IT experts to make recommendations for improvements that would enhance the company’s security in any way.
In addition, security researchers must hold staff preparation sessions and develop reports to aid recovery efforts in an active data breach.
With the rapid expansion of the cybersecurity environment in recent years, the position of security analyst has been divided into three types:
- Analyst for Application Security
- Security Compliance Analyst
- Data Security Analyst
As you can see from the above, different security analysts’ functions and duties are more defined.
Application security analysts, for example, concentrate on web systems, computer security analysts on data, and security enforcement analysts on regulations.
While there are many similarities between these security positions, particular distinctions make each one stand out.
However, for this discussion- we shall be solely focusing on Data Security Analysis, and it’s whereabouts:
Data Security Analysts (also known as Information Security Analysts) work in various fields such as advising, depository credit intermediation, and computer system architecture.
Their primary duty is to ensure the security of data collected on servers and corporate networks.
In addition, data protection experts must ensure that confidential data is not altered unwittingly. They are often tasked with security policy formulation, execution, and compliance, as well as routine maintenance.
Those in this area are also in charge of developing data access, backup, and security procedures. As a result, if a security breach occurs, they will investigate and make modifications to deter further intrusions.
They will be charged with mitigating the damage and removing the flaw that contributed to the breach if data is breached.
The information management manager is usually in charge of these security experts. Any data security experts are asked to be on call outside of regular working hours, even though they are traditionally supposed to work full-time business hours.
Installation and maintenance of computer tools, cybersecurity preparation, and maintaining the network safe against a data breach are other obligations.
information or Data security analysts will be required to gather data for cyber forensics after a breach as security threats develop. Coding, system research, and telecommunications are examples of external roles.
Prerequisites for becoming a Data Security Analyst
A bachelorette degree in software engineering or computer science, information assurance, or a similar area is usually expected of data security analysts.
Many employers, though, favor applicants with a master’s degree in business administration and an emphasis in information technology.
Many with special certifications, such as general information technology protection and systems auditing, are given priority.
Employers seek candidates who have worked in the field of information technology in addition to having a reasonable degree.
Aspirants without a bachelor’s degree may be considered whether they have years of expertise in the profession and hold cybersecurity certifications that demonstrate their competency.
Skills & Qualifications Required
If they want to work as data security experts, they’ll need diverse expertise and credentials.
These qualifications vary by workplace, but data security analysts should have good experience in network security and a bachelor’s degree at the very least. They must also possess the following talents and skills:
Hands-on experience in Information Technology: Many employers can only hire data protection experts with previous experience as a network or information infrastructure administrator.
This training gives them the skills they’ll need to keep networks secure.
Computer Expertise: Data protection analysts should have a solid working knowledge of hardware, applications, scripting, and other technology.
Industry-based Knowledge: Individuals in this role should be familiar with the security requirements of their sector. If they work with a bank, for example, they should be familiar with financial terms.
Analytical thinking: Computer protection researchers should be able to think objectively and have good analytical skills.
Eye for the details: In the world of computer protection, little information matters a lot, so researchers must pay careful attention to them at all times. This seemingly insignificant information could quickly point to a severe issue.
Certifications in Data Security Analysis
Below are examples of all possible technical certifications related to Data Security:
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) — learn about the philosophy and ideas behind ethical hacking (penetration testing)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) — supports international security best practices and honors the person in charge of an organization’s sole information security.
- CISSP, or Certified Information Systems Security Professional– verifies a person’s expertise in the area of information security.
- CompTIA Security+ is a certification offered by CompTIA. — demonstrates the knowledge of network security, enforcement, and organizational security, as well as risks, vulnerabilities, and access control.
- Penetration-testing methodologies, regulatory problems due to penetration testing, correctly performing a pen test, and best practice scientific and non-professional methods GIAC Certified Penetration Tester.
- SANS GIAC Compliance Essentials (GSEC)— demonstrates a thorough grasp of information security principles and terminology.
A bachelorette degree in a computer-related field of studies, such as computer science or engineering, is required to work as a data security analyst.
Data security analysts may require a master’s degree, such as a Master of Business Administration, to advance to higher-ranking or more senior positions.
Most businesses tend to employ analysts with prior IT expertise, as previously said. There are many technical certifications available to data protection analysts. Certain employers may expect them to receive them before or during work.
Many of these certifications concentrate on one area of data management, such as system auditing or inspection.
Job Roles & Responsibilities of a Data Security Analyst
Data security experts are responsible for safeguarding a company’s or organization’s operating infrastructure and networks.
They’re frequently the last people standing between hackers and a company’s networks, and their skills are in high demand right now.
Anyone with a background in computers or information technology would enjoy working as a data security analyst. The majority of data security researchers work full-time, with many working more than 40 hours a week.
While men make up most data security analysts, more women are expected to join the industry as recruiters put a greater focus on diversity.
The tasks that a data security analyst would complete differ from one location to the next and are dependent on many reasons, including their time on the job and personal abilities.
Regardless of these considerations, the majority of data security analysts would be required to perform the following tasks at some point:
Installing Data Security Software
Installing and uninstalling numerous monitoring services is the responsibility of data security experts.
These applications also use firewalls and data encryption technologies to secure confidential data. They must be upgraded regularly to fix glitches and add new functionality.
Carry out testing
On their systems, data protection researchers do “penetration checking.” This research method reveals a system’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and researchers use the information to enhance security and plan for external threats.
Establishing Security Standards
Most computer protection analysts’ primary concern is to ensure that the networks they’re in charge of are secure from hackers.
Depending on the company’s needs and existing risks, they will assist in the development and implementation of protection strategies for the organizations for whom they operate.
Educating your peers and vice-versa
While data security analysts play an essential role, many of the experts with whom they collaborate lack a thorough understanding of the data security process.
Analysts will help teach their colleagues and bosses about device protection and build it into its overall strategies.
Security Breach Notification
Data system analysts are obligated to investigate all security violations. They are responsible for all facets of a data system.
These findings can be presented in a formal manner or at meetings. They will use the information they gather to deter potential breaches.
Why is Data Security important?
Your company’s data is a precious commodity that it produces, gathers, stocks, and exchanges.
Protecting it from internal or external wrongdoing and unauthorized access prevents the business from financial harm, reputational injury, customer trust degradation, and brand erosion.
Furthermore, data protection regulations imposed by the government and industry make it critical for the enterprise to ensure and maintain conformity with these laws everywhere it does business.
Forms of Data Security Controls
Understanding the significance of data protection will assist you in developing a strategy to safeguard the data.
There are various data management tools and processes that can help the business stay productive while protecting data. Below are examples of data protection controls:
Verification
In conjunction with authentication, verification is one of the most recommended methods for improving data protection and preventing data breaches.
Authentication software checks whether a user’s credentials fit those in your database. Passwords, PINS, identification codes, a swipe card, or biometrics are all popular methods to recognize an authenticated user in today’s traditional authentication systems.
Single sign-on technology makes authentication easy by allowing an authenticated user access to various devices, platforms, and apps with only one security token.
What an authorized user can do or see on your website or server is determined by authorization technologies.
Regulation of access
The method of authentication and authorization is known as access management. The following are examples of access management systems:
Discretionary access management (the least restrictive) requires users or associations to access information depending on their identities.
Role-based access management, which grants users access to specific information based on their organizational role,
And there’s mandatory access management, which lets a system administrator restrict who has access to what data.
Backups and disaster response
Prioritizing data management often necessitates developing a strategy for gaining access to the company’s and clients’ information in the case of a system outage, accident, data corruption, or hack.
Regular data backups are a vital part of ensuring that access is possible.
Making a secure copy of the files and saving it on a different device or medium, such as a cassette, disc, or the cloud, is what a data backup means. You can then use your backup to restore missing files.
Encryption
Data encryption software automatically improves data security by converting plaintext into encrypted ciphertext using an algorithm (called a cipher) and an encryption key. The cipher data would be unreadable to an unauthorized user.
Only a person with an activated key will decrypt the data after that. Encryption is used to secure data stored at rest and data shared between accounts, mobile devices, and the cloud (called data in transit).
Protecting the sensitive management processes, managing a safe, off-site encryption backup, and limiting access are all things that must be done safely with encryption keys.
Masking of the data
Data masking applications obscure data by using proxy characters to cover letters and numbers.
Under the masking, the data is still there. And after an authorized recipient gets the information, does the program convert it back to its original state.
Tokenization
Tokenization replaces confidential data with random characters that are not reversible algorithmically.
Rather than being developed and decrypted by a mathematical algorithmic expression, the relationship between the data and the token values is stored in a secure database lookup table (as in encryption).
The token representing the fundamental data is used as a stand-in for the actual data in various schemes. At the same time, the factual information is stored elsewhere.
Erasure and deletion
When electronic data is no longer used and must be removed entirely from the system, erasure may overwrite the data, rendering it unrecoverable.
Erasure is not to be confused with the deletion procedure, which is a method that covers data in such a way that it is possible for recovery.
Data Security Expert: Salary & Outlook
According to the reliable source of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the estimated annual wage for a data security analyst is $95,530.
Data Security Analysts in the top 10% make more than $153,390 a year, and those in the bottom 10% earn less than $55,660 a year. Employee perks such as life care, pensions, and compensated time off are common among data protection analysts.
Data security experts are expected to see a 28.1% increase in jobs between 2020 and 2026, a staggering rate of expansion, particularly compared to the national average of 7.3% for all occupations.
Summarizing
Depending on the job, a security analyst’s average day can be very different. They could start their day by reviewing reports from the previous day or transfer, searching for new threats, and detecting malware that has entered the system.
Security experts can also be called upon to anticipate and respond to devise breaches or assaults.
Responding to hacks or network insecurities and trying to avoid new ones are all part of these procedures, which vary depending on workplaces and jobs.
A security analyst would meet and communicate with other IT professionals at work on a typical day to cooperate to secure data and network infrastructure.
