Cyber Security Administrator Jobs

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Also known as Systems Security administrator, Network Security administrator and IT Security administrator, Cyber Security administrator jobs are a useful entry point into a career in cyber security.

The first line of defence in securing databases, which is the universal power behind basically every website, application and system known to man; a data security administrator, as they are also known, is primarily responsible for securing those databases against unauthorised access. Essentially you are the person an organisation relies on for installing, administering and troubleshooting their security solutions.

They’re the person you go to when you need to set up a new account or alter the permissions on an existing account or manage user information and roles. Someone working in cyber security administration will also be a great source of information regarding an organisation’s security policies and best practices. This may in turn see that person’s job description encompass not only briefing senior staff members of security threats either current or emerging, but also having a fundamental role in the creation of the firm’s security policies. Thus your written and spoken communication skills should be on point.

The day to day of a job in cyber security administration will of course vary according to company though you may expect to be involved with things such as setting up system processes and user accounts, designing and implementing technical policies, performing vulnerability and networking scanning assessments, monitoring network traffic for unusual activity and possibly configuring and supporting security tools including firewalls, anti-virus software and patch management systems.

You may also find yourself conducting security audits, looking at user access and activities from log files as well as overseeing training for fellow employees. Having the ability to teach and instruct others is highly beneficial to a cyber security admin role.

For those working for smaller organisations you might find your duties mimicking those of a security specialist or security analyst, which of course provides invaluable training and experience to push your career forward. In fact security analyst is on the list of roles a cyber security administrator should be aspiring to, as well as security auditor, security engineer and security consultant. So all those jobs you find yourself doing in your lowly admin role are simply furnishing you with the tools you need for a successful future in cyber security.

Coming into such a role fresh out of university, most employers will expect you to have a bachelor’s degree in a related subject, such as cyber security or computer science. You may also consider investing in a Master’s with a focus on IT security to further boost your understanding and skillset. There are certifications you can do too, though be aware they are not necessarily a prerequisite for every employer. The certs you can look into however are the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), CompTIA Security+, CISSP and CISM; though certifications like CISSP require a certain number of years’ experience.

The average salary for a cyber security administrator tends to start between £23,500 and £25,870 depending on which specific area of security administration you plan to work in. For example, those with network security experience may demand a slightly higher salary than those in just straight data security administration.

Skills as we know come in two flavours, hard and soft. There are technical expertise expected of you in this role that will enable you to know exactly what to do with a firewall or how to route or switch the required components within a computer system. Get familiar with the language, understand protocols like SSL, HTTP, DNS, SMTP and IPsec. Be able to apply Juniper, Cisco and Checkpoint software and be able to use Windows, UNIX and Linux operating systems. Network protocols, packet analysis tools, intrusion detection and prevention protocols, Proxy Server Knowledge and IDS/IPS knowledge all come under the list of skills a cyber security administrator should have in his or her arsenal.

Add those to your excellent communication and teaching skills and you’ll go far.

 

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