Information Security Analysts: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
- Education Required
- Information security analysts usually need at least a bachelors degree in computer science, information assurance, programming, or a related field.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 28% (Much faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Information security analysts can advance to become chief security officers or another type of computer and information systems manager.
- Licenses/Certifications
- There are a number of information security certifications available, and many employers prefer candidates to have certification, which validates the knowledge and best practices required from information security analysts. Some are general information security certificates, such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), while others have a more narrow focus, such as penetration testing or systems auditing.
- Median pay: How much do Information Security Analysts make?
- $92,600 Annual Salary
- $44.52 per hour
Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organizations computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases.
What do Information Security Analysts do?
Information security analysts typically do the following:
- Monitor their organizations networks for security breaches and investigate a violation when one occurs
- Install and use software, such as firewalls and data encryption programs, to protect sensitive information
- Prepare reports that document security breaches and the extent of the damage caused by the breaches
- Conduct penetration testing, which is when analysts simulate attacks to look for vulnerabilities in their systems before they can be exploited
- Research the latest information technology (IT) security trends
- Develop security standards and best practices for their organization
- Recommend security enhancements to management or senior IT staff
- Help computer users when they need to install or learn about new security products and procedures
IT security analysts are heavily involved with creating their organizations disaster recovery plan, a procedure that IT employees follow in case of emergency. These plans allow for the continued operation of an organizations IT department. The recovery plan includes preventive measures such as regularly copying and transferring data to an offsite location. It also involves plans to restore proper IT functioning after a disaster. Analysts continually test the steps in their recovery plans.
Information security analysts must stay up to date on IT security and on the latest methods attackers are using to infiltrate computer systems. Analysts need to research new security technology to decide what will most effectively protect their organization.
Careers for Information Security Analysts
- Computer security specialists
- Computer systems security analysts
- Information systems security analysts
- Internet security specialists
- Network security analysts