15 Essential Skills Every Cybersecurity Analyst Needs

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), cyber attacks have more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic.¹ That explains why the demand for cybersecurity experts is at an all-time high, and it's expected to continue to grow.²

If you want to start or advance your career as a cybersecurity analyst, now may be the best time to make a move. Keep reading to discover the top 15 skills cybersecurity analysts need to succeed.

With threat intelligence analysis skills, you can gather and analyze security information from multiple external sources, including in-depth cybersecurity reports from reputable organizations. The aim is to spot patterns that provide insights into common cybersecurity threats, such as phishing and ransomware.

The ability to conduct an in-depth threat analysis helps you reveal:³

• Specific cyber threats a company faces and the assets that are exposed
• Techniques cybercriminals might use to target the organization
• Signs of a particular attack
• Actionable ways to prevent or remediate cyber threats

Preventing attacks is the main goal of cybersecurity. But when data breaches do occur, knowing what to do can help minimize the damage and losses.

With incident response cybersecurity expertise, you'll understand how to identify, contain and resolve different types of cyber attacks. This can help your organization mitigate security incidents before they escalate.

Common incident response technologies include:⁴

• Attack surface management (ASM) solutions monitor all entry points that attackers may exploit in a network or system
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR) software protects an organization's connected devices by detecting and responding to cyber threats in real time
• User and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) flags security incidents by detecting abnormal user and device behavior

Modern businesses increasingly rely on technology to streamline their operations. In return, they're exposed to natural disasters, human error, cybercrimes and other cyber threats. These threats can’t all be eliminated. However, a risk analyst can reduce the impact and likelihood of cyber attacks.

With cybersecurity risk management expertise, you can help your organization:⁵

• Pinpoint the high-impact security risks that are most likely to occur
• Implement effective security measures to mitigate critical threats 
• Create and implement incident response plans for quickly identifying and dealing with cyber threats

Network security skills enable you to protect a firm’s computer systems from unauthorized access, theft or misuse. You can set up different technologies to ensure that all devices, applications and users in the network are safe from cybercriminals.

For example, firewalls monitor network traffic and filter users based on predefined security rules. They block malicious actors from accessing an organization’s systems and ensure that only authorized individuals are allowed in the network.⁶

A security information and event management (SIEM) solution helps companies recognize and address vulnerabilities before they disrupt business operations. It works by flagging suspicious activities in a network or system. Modern SIEM solutions use artificial intelligence to automate manual processes in threat detection and incident response.

Examples of SIEM tools include AlienVault OSSIM, Security Onion, and Wazuh. Expertise in using these solutions can make you a strong hiring candidate for employers who already use them.⁷

Vulnerability assessment involves identifying weaknesses in an organization’s network that cybercriminals can exploit. Its component tasks include:⁸

• Looking for vulnerabilities, such as weak passwords and outdated software
• Assigning a level of severity to those vulnerabilities
• Recommending whether security threats should be mitigated or remediated based on how serious they are

Penetration testing is a security exercise in which you attempt to find and exploit weak spots in a computer system. You try to hack into an organization’s IT infrastructure, but with permission from the company—ethical hacking, in short.

The purpose of this simulated attack is to identify hidden vulnerabilities that the developers inside the organization might not be aware of. If you manage to break through the cyber defenses, the enterprise gains valuable information on how to tighten its security measures.

With penetration testing cybersecurity skills, businesses may hire you to disrupt their internal networks so they can see how much damage a malicious insider would be able to cause. You can also conduct external tests, through which you go up against external-facing technology, such as the organization’s website or servers that are not within its premises.⁹

When you master data protection and privacy laws, companies may hire you to help them with compliance. Common regulations include:

• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) protects the personal data of European Union residents; any organization that processes information of people in the region must comply¹⁰
• The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives California consumers the right to know, delete and control usage of the personal information a business collects about them¹¹
• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy and security of Americans’ medical information¹²

One way to meet the requirements of these regulations is through data encryption, wherein you make sensitive information unreadable to unauthorized eyes.¹³ With data-masking cybersecurity expertise, you can also use powerful algorithms to create fake versions of confidential information.¹⁴ This way, when developers test software solutions, which usually require the use of real-world data, they can use sensitive information without raising security concerns.¹⁴

With cloud cybersecurity expertise, you can help companies keep their sensitive data private and safe across their online applications, IT infrastructure and other platforms. In other words, you secure all business operations running in the cloud.¹⁵

Strong cyber defense skills can help you implement cloud security best practices such as:¹⁶

• Configuring cloud-based applications correctly
• Implementing role-based access control so that everyone in the organization can access only what they need to perform their tasks
• Logging and monitoring every session in the organization’s cloud networks to instantly identify suspicious activities

Security architecture involves creating software that is secure by design. With these technical skills, you build systems that prioritize user security in every phase of the development process, including design, coding, testing, and deployment.¹⁷

Security by design significantly reduces the number of exploitable vulnerabilities that exist when a software developer introduces a new product to the market. Systems that are designed this way have robust security controls. They're also easy to update without compromising user safety.¹⁸

According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), secure-by-design systems should include:¹⁷

• Multifactor authentication: a security element that requires users to complete two or more verification steps to gain access to a system
• Logging: a feature that records what’s happening inside an IT network, making it easy to track and address security breaches

Apart from data protection and privacy laws, some organizations need to comply with additional cybersecurity guidelines. For instance, federal agencies and companies that contract with the U.S. government must meet the cybersecurity requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) also has its own cybersecurity standards.

Compliance with NIST and ISO standards is generally voluntary. However, most organizations have adopted them to protect their systems.^19,20

Technical proficiencies are not the only essential skills in cybersecurity. Excellent communication is also among the top skills for cybersecurity analysts. After all, you’ll need to explain complicated security concepts to people without a technical background, such as executives. When cyber attacks happen, you’ll have to write incident reports clearly and concisely.

Effective communication is also key when you're collaborating with other departments, such as legal, IT and public relations teams.²¹

According to Microsoft, cybersecurity threats are always changing.²² As advanced technology enables companies to improve their operations, it also gives attackers more powerful tools and additional attack surfaces to exploit vulnerabilities. That explains why cybercriminals are regularly finding new, more sophisticated ways to breach operating systems and networks.²³

Continuous learning and the ability to adjust to new trends can help cybersecurity professionals stay ahead of emerging threats.²¹

Few entry-level cybersecurity jobs require extensive coding skills. Coding proficiency may be necessary, however, if you want to advance to a senior position. In that case, you may need to master popular programming languages such as Python, Java and C++.²⁴

Programming and scripting skills can also be helpful when you're analyzing code vulnerabilities in an organization’s software. You can use them to conduct complex penetration tests, such as writing custom scripts to tailor simulated cyber attacks.²⁵

As a security analyst, you'll likely be part of a wider cybersecurity team. Additionally, you may need to work with people from different departments across your organization. Interpersonal skills can help you collaborate and build positive relationships with others.²⁶

Make the most of the growing demand for top-quality cybersecurity professionals. Enroll to acquire a powerful cybersecurity education—the latest authoritative strategies for assessing and mitigating cyber threats, best practices for designing secure systems architecture, digital forensics methods and much more. The online Master of Science in Cybersecurity program from Yeshiva University’s Katz School of Science and Health is led and taught by industry experts. It combines real-world simulations and the hands-on experience you’ll need to achieve crucial industry certifications.

Whether you're pursuing a career change or updating your current skills, the Katz School is the place to be. Start your next chapter by contacting one of our admissions outreach advisors today.