The 10 Coolest Information Security Careers
Adriano Dias Leite | Feb 09, 2010 | Comments 26
5 – Forensic Analyst
The professional holding this position analyzes computer systems to identify who is the responsible for the misuse of a system, or to detect whether a certain application was used to commit a crime. His task doesn’t end there: the forensic analyst is responsible for preserving, documenting and interpreting computer evidence subject to legal rules and guidelines.
Where to look for a job: Information Security Services Provider and consultancy companies, major organizations where security is paramount (banking, financial, health, etc).
4 – System, Network and Web Penetration Tester
This job involves attempting to penetrate systems, networks and applications in order to detect their vulnerabilities so that companies can correct flaws and improve their security. The tester must be able to identify flaws in security and bring up possible solutions, as well as providing suggestions on how to better allocate security resources. This information security career is also known as white-hat hacking, ethical hacking and pentesting.
Where to look for a job: Information Security services providers and consultancy companies, major organizations where security is paramount (banking, financial, health).
3 – Information Security Forensics Expert
This information security career involves analyzing the aftermath of a systems security breach by hackers in order to determine how the breach occurred and which of the company’s systems may have been compromised. This position requires security professionals with updated forensic and reverse engineering skills, as well as an awareness of the latest methods of exploiting system vulnerabilities.
Where to look for a job: Information Security services providers and consultancy companies, government agencies.
2 – Malware Analyst
This information security career involves reverse-engineering malicious software such as viruses and spyware in order to determine how they attack computer systems and how they spread as well as define signatures that could indicate their presence within a system. This profession requires a deep knowledge of high and low level programming languages.
Where to look for a job: Security Software makers.
1 – Computer Crime Investigator
This is one of the most glamorous information security jobs as the job holder assists police and forensic investigators with crimes involving computers or with aspects of a criminal investigation involving computers. The computer crime investigator uses advanced technologies to analyze evidence. They will also help law enforcement officials in recovering deleted, hidden or encrypted data from a hard drive which may be of value to an ongoing investigation. It’s also very probable that security clearance will be required if you want to become a Computer Crime Investigator.
Where to look for a job: Law enforcement agencies, Information Security consultancy companies.
Do you agree with my choice? What’s the coolest job for you? Please share your opinion in the comments below!
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Thank you for a great post
Enjoyed reading this post, thanks
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Strategy roles such as portfolio/product management really are not a fun place to be right now. The market already has all the technology it can afford (e.g. FW, IPS, AV) and technologies that seem cool (e.g. anomaly detection) have flopped in the marketplace.
The forces on the industry are to reduce costs and to reduce complexity by folding multiple security functions into fewer devices. There is room for innovation but not really the fun kind.
I guess there may be some innovative technology incubating out there right now (e.g. botnet detection) but I doubt anyone outside of core federal gov’t has the money or will to buy it.
Man, i hope my blog is this good some day!
haha!
I pray that someday I will have a blog as good as yours!
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I see a new type of information profession who is able to morph into each of these roles, seamlessly and effortlessly. Seems if you have the technical background, one could be involved in project management, information security, network security (systems engineering), among others. The new information professional is aware of and perhaps trained in more than one area, so I really see the job titles as arbitrary upon the organization. What do you think?
Security Metrics Analyst/Expert
It’s a fairly new trend but with the government getting more involved in regulating IT Security I expect demand for experts in Security Metrics will grow significantly in the near future. Even without government involvement many companies are beginning to recognize the need for a dedicated expert in metrics who can provide objective measures of security effectiveness; in particular how well the company’s security tools, processes, and policies are supporting the business.
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I’d agree with what Chris Wren has put, and I think it might also be worth noting that most of the jobs listed are IT Security, and not Information security.
How about :- Security Assesor?
If you like travelling the world a job in security assesment / management system auditing can be pretty cool.
@Pauli it all depends what your definition of cool is….. cool is what ever has my interest an any given time.
Relying on the media to determin what is and isn’t cool (forensic investigator), just shows how easily you can be manipulated.
Being your own person is what will make you cool, sometimes that will be in line with the heard and sometimes you have to stand out by yourself.
@chris: you forgot that coolness and real value are not the same thing
anyway, can really relate to you list and would add:
Portfolio management
Program management
Product management
Strategy..
..you name it all key IT roles..
Fantastic comment, Chris!
Although those are definitely vital professions, I would still stick to the coolness of forensic analysis!
Keep your feedback coming!
A.
Business Continuity
Compliance Management
Risk Management
Process Development
Data Managment
Business Analyst
Solutions Architect
Incident Managment
Supply Chain Managment
These might not all scream out as InfoSec roles but this is where InfoSec gets really interesting, it is how it relates and improves the business. Identifying opportunites and the level of risk, is what really makes a diffrence to the bottom line.
InfoSec is not just geeks fiddling with technology and you need to be able to imagin the larger impact that InfoSec can have on the whole of the business.
You might not see it now but this is far more exciting than analysing packet dumps or going through Encase logs looking for kiddie porn.
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