Cybersecurity specialists
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Cybersecurity specialists develop, improve and monitor security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks, connected devices, data and information. They prevent unauthorized access, disruption and destruction to systems and the data and information they contain. They also respond to cyber incidents and handle disaster recovery.
Job Titles
Duties
Cybersecurity specialists:
- Assess security risks to data, software and hardware
- Apply and manage encryption protocols to ensure data is secure, including when it’s in transit
- Monitor access to information and systems
- Install, test and operate security tools, such as anti-virus software and automated threat-detection and threat-prevention systems
- Monitor for cyber attacks, intrusions and other unusual, unauthorized and illegal activity
- Respond to cybersecurity incidents
- Follow an organization’s incident response plan to protect information, data and systems
- Document security-related policies, procedures and tests
- Monitor public advisories for current cyber threats
- Educate users about the importance of protecting data and information
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,350% Employed Full Time
81%Cybersecurity specialists work in the public and private sectors. They work for information technology (IT) consulting firms and in IT departments in other organizations. They also work in government, particularly for the federal government.
Cybersecurity specialists typically work in an office. They may also work remotely or from home, since technology allows for systems to be accessed from almost anywhere.
Because a company’s information systems must be always available , cybersecurity specialists may work shifts. System maintenance and upgrades often occur at night and on weekends.
The role of the cybersecurity specialist can be stressful, especially when putting in new systems or solving urgent problems.
Career Pathways
By earning industry certifications, cybersecurity specialists can increase their chances for advancement.
An experienced cybersecurity specialist could become an organization’s chief information security officer (CISO) or chief information officer (CIO).
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer security, computer systems engineering, information systems, OR
- Completion of a college program in information technology, network administration or other computer science related program
Some employers need workers to be certified or trained by software vendors.
Many workers also take certification programs offered by industry to build their knowledge and improve their career opportunities.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Computer Information Systems/Science
- Linguistics Related (Arts)
- Computing Science/Systems Related
- Information Technology Management
- Linguistics (Science)
- Web Technologies
- Networking and Security
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,350Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | 1.5% |
| Kootenay | 15 | 1.1% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,030 | 76.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 65 | 4.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 220 | 16.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
730Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 610 | 2.4% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 1.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 100 | 1.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 460 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 60 |
| Public Administration | 60 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 30 |
| Retail Trade | 20 |
Insights from Industry
More and more, businesses are using technology to manage valuable and sensitive information. So they need experts to protect their systems from security breaches and other risks. As a result, cybersecurity skills are in high demand. Experienced cybersecurity specialists are especially valued by employers.
Employers also like other technical workers to have security knowledge. All areas of systems design, implementation and management need a basic understanding of security needs.
Resources
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BC Tech Associationwww.wearebctech.com
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Canada's Association of I.T. Professionalswww.cips.ca
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Canada's Association of Information Technology (IT) Professionals - British Columbiawww.bc.cips.ca
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The Canadian Advanced Technology Allianceinnovationsoftheworld.com/canadian-advanced-technology
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Communications Security Establishmentwww.cse-cst.gc.ca/
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Data Management Association (DAMA)www.dama.org/cpages/home
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Engineering Technology Canadawww.engineeringtechnologycanada.ca/en/CTINlanding
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First Nations Technology Councilwww.technologycouncil.ca
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Information and Communications Technology Councilwww.ictc-ctic.ca
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Information Resource Management Association of Canadawww.irmac.ca
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Information Systems Audit and Control Associationwww.isaca.org
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International Institute of Business Analysiswww.iiba.org
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International Institute of Business Analysis – Career Centrewww.iiba.org/Careers/IIBA-Career-Centre-Find-business-analyst-jobs.aspx
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National Cybersecurity Consortiumncc-cnc.ca/
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Technation.ca formerly the Information Technology Association of Canadaitac.ca
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Worldwide Open Cyber Security Associationwww.wocsa.org/
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