Incident Responder Career Roadmap from Entry Level to Senior Level – (Career in Cyber Security)

What is Incident Responder?

Incident responders, sometimes also referred to as an Intrusion Analyst or Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) Engineer. Fundamentally, a cyber first-responder. Incident Responder seeks out to protect and improve organizational security posture by averting, averting, and mitigating security threats.

These professionals frequently function under pressure to assess and respond to threats through, security auditing, intrusion detection, and risk analysis. Addressing security threats can encompass the use of reverse engineering, network forensics, and penetration testing skills. Incident responders also generate reports for management and law enforcement.

The following are the responsibilities of Incident responders.

  • Identify any sort of errors or possible vulnerabilities in the system or network
  • Develop a robust system of measures for effective and efficient handling of emergency
  • Oversee applications and systems for any doubtful activity
  • Collaborate with other cybersecurity team members in an effective manner
  • Run risk analysis, security audits, and penetration testing
  • Develop an effective and efficient system for the communication trail that wishes to take place during an emergency, and how to relay essential information to law enforcement
  • Provide effective and well-composed incident reports to key stakeholders in the IT department
  • Focus on continuous system monitoring of systems across numerous locations
  • Identify probable risks associated with malware and help resolve any existing system infections
  • Create plans and procedures that help Information Technology personnel to carry out proper security procedures
  • Provide effective communication with authorities when threats happen
  • Assess development environments and estimate code for any probable security holes and susceptibilities
  • Write reports based on findings for the aforementioned security threats and breaches
  • Work with other staff members to define proper security procedures

Career Paths:

Entry Level Positions-

  • Security Administrator
  • Network Administrator
  • System Administrator
  • Penetration Tester
  • Security Architect
  • Malware Analyst
  • Threat Intelligence Researcher
  • Technology Auditor

Management Positions:

  • Director of Incident Response
  • CSIRT Manager

There are other cybersecurity jobs such as System Administrator, Security Administrator, and Network Administrator that can help you build some work experience to enhance or include on your resume in this field:

Education:

Computer Science and similar technical focus

Educational background:

Computer Science or a similar technical focus

  • Must have a degree in computer science, electrical engineering, information assurance or cybersecurity
  • Must have a general security certification, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM); or an incident response-specific certification such as the SANS Institute’s Global Information Assurance Handler (ECIH).

Experience:

  • Two to three years of experience is required for entry-level positions in incident response.
  • Must have at least five years of experience is required for senior or team lead roles require

Hard Skills:

  • Highly proficient in Operating systems such as Linux, UNIX, and Windows
  • Acquainted with forensics software such as Helix, EnCase, XRY, and FTK
  • Comfortable with archiving and backing up a diversity of technologies
  • Confident in key programming languages such as Java, PHP, C++, C, C#, and ASM
  • A rudimentary knowledge of Internet-based application security

Soft Skills:

  • Excellent writing skills
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to handle emergencies
  • Quick decision-making power in high-pressure situations
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Logical and rational thinking power
  • Patient and perseverance

Working Traits –

  • Loves Excitement
  • Hungry for technical challenges
  • Thrives on investigating

Relevant Certifications:

The job requirements and certification for this field vary from company to company. It is always significant to find out your company or agency’s specified requirements before applying.

The following are the examples of certificates for an incident responder.

  • Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst
  • Certified Ethical Hacker
  • Certified Computer Forensics Examiner
  • Certified Penetration Tester
  • GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst
  • GIAC Certified Incident Handler
  • GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst
  • Certified Computer Examiner

We are living in a critical time. Every minute we are in the verge of hacking and unwanted threats and vulnerable incidents are entering into our systems and networks. It is an excellent time to start a career as an incident responder.

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