What does the job market look like for cybersecurity professionals in India right now?

According to a recent report by The Economic Times, there are up to 25,000 unfilled positions in cybersecurity profiles. As such, a “big fight is underway for cybersecurity professionals, with a nearly 30 percent demand-supply gap for cybersecurity jobs.”

In other words, many companies across the country are fighting to find new cybersecurity talent and/or upskill their existing tech teams. This problem isn’t just for big tech firms, though—it’s creeping into general enterprises, too. As more businesses push toward a digital transformation, the Data Security Council of India expects the cybersecurity ecosystem to require one million professionals by 2025.

As a hiring manager or business leader, are you prepared to meet the ever-growing demand for cybersecurity professionals? It won’t be easy, but that doesn’t mean it has to be impossible.

To help you get started, let’s:

• Look at three of the top 12 cybersecurity jobs in India
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Identify problems and solutions (and how candidates should be able to handle them)

1. Network Security Engineer

A network security engineer is responsible for maintaining the security of a company’s network, ensuring that all data is secure and protected from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

Candidates should have experience:

• Designing, implementing, and maintaining the company’s security systems, such as:
  • Firewalls
  • Intrusion detection systems
  • Antivirus software
• Monitoring networks for suspicious activities, such as:
  • Unusual login attempts from unknown IP addresses
  • Unauthorized access to confidential data
  • Unauthorized attempts to modify or delete data
  • Unusual account activity or changes to user privileges
  • Unusual outbound traffic from the network
  • Suspicious emails or links sent from internal accounts
  • Malicious software or malware found on devices
  • Unusual network traffic or usage patterns
• Investigating security breaches
• Developing policies and procedures to protect the company from future incidents
• Conducting security audits and penetration tests to identify potential vulnerabilities

A good question to ask a network security job candidate would be: “What experience do you have in responding to and resolving security incidents?”

A high-quality response to this question could include:

• “I have extensive experience in responding to and resolving security incidents.”
• “I have used tools such as Wireshark and Nmap to analyze network traffic and detect suspicious activities.”
• I have developed policies and procedures to prevent future incidents, implemented firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and performed vulnerability assessments and penetration tests.”
• “I have kept up-to-date with the latest security trends and best practices and regularly trained and mentored other IT staff on security best practices.”

2. Cloud Security Engineer

A cloud security engineer is responsible for ensuring the security of an organization’s cloud-based infrastructure and data. This includes designing, implementing, and managing strategies, tools, and processes to protect information stored in cloud environments from unauthorized access, manipulation, and loss.

Candidates should have experience:

• Managing cloud security frameworks, such as:
  • AWS Security Best Practices
  • Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security Guidance
  • Microsoft Azure Security Best Practices
  • Google Cloud Platform Security Best Practices
• Working with cloud security tools, such as:
  • CloudTrail
  • CloudWatch
  • Security Monkey
• Managing security automation and scripting
• Managing DevOps, continuous integration, and continuous delivery (CI/CD).

A good question to ask a network security job candidate would be: “What are some ways you would ensure the security of cloud-based systems and data?”

A high-quality response to this question could include:

• “I would conduct threat and vulnerability assessments using tools and techniques such as penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and security benchmarking.”
• “I would use a risk-based approach to prioritize and address identified vulnerabilities, which means I would…
  • “Identify assets and their associated risk, evaluate the threat and vulnerability landscape…
  • “Assess the potential impact of these threats and vulnerabilities…
  • “Determine how the threats and vulnerabilities might be exploited.”
• “To configure cloud security controls, I would…
  • “Set up authentication and authorization processes…
  • “Set up access control lists…
  • “Configure encryption for data in transit and at rest…
  • “Configure firewalls to monitor and control network traffic
  • Set up logging and alerting systems to detect and respond to security events.”

3. Ethical Hacker

An ethical hacker is a cybersecurity professional who uses their hacking skills for defensive purposes. They are employed by organizations to test and assess the security of their networks and systems.

Candidates should have experience:

• Working with computer and network security vulnerabilities, such as those associated with operating systems, applications, and network protocols
• Hands-on experience with a variety of ethical hacking tools and techniques, such as:
  • Port scanning tools: Nmap, Nessus
  • Vulnerability scanning tools: Nexpose, Retina, Qualys
  • Password cracking tools: John the Ripper, Hydra
  • Network sniffers: Wireshark, tcpdump
  • Wireless hacking tools: Aircrack-ng, Kismet
  • Social engineering techniques: Phishing, tailgating
  • Web application security tools: Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP
  • Reverse engineering tools: IDA Pro, OllyDbg
  • Network mapping tools: Nmap, NetScanTools Pro
  • Exploitation tools: Metasploit, Core Impact
• Understanding of common security issues, such as:
  • SQL injection
  • Buffer overflow
  • Cross-site scripting
• Analyze network traffic and identify malicious activities
• Proficiency in scripting languages, such as
  • Python
  • Perl
  • Ruby
  • Bash
• Writing detailed security reports and presenting findings to technical and non-technical audiences
• Performing penetration tests and vulnerability assessments
• Abiding by ethical hacking principles and standards
• Experience with compliance standards, such as:
  • PCI-DSS
  • HIPAA
  • SOX

A good question to ask a network security job candidate would be: “How would you approach a security risk assessment for a large enterprise network?”

A high-quality response to this question could include:

• “I would start by performing an asset inventory to identify all hardware and software components on the network.”
• “I would review existing security policies and procedures to ensure they are up to date and effective.”
• “I would run vulnerability scans to identify potential security flaws and monitor system logs for suspicious activity.”
• “I would use any other ethical hacking techniques as necessary to confirm the security of the network.”

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This blog was written by Navaneel Das.