Cybersecurity? Yes, That’s a Career Path for Coders.February 1st, 2024
At TrueCoders, we not only teach you coding, we also show you how a career in coding can transform your life. That means we not only help you build the skills to land a job, we also share information that is important to the TrueCoders coding community.
In November of 2023, we hosted cybersecurity expert Brandon Chanco to share important tips on starting a career in cybersecurity.
Here’s a link to his talk and a handy summary of his presentation:
What is cybersecurity?
Brandon defines cybersecurity with the three pillars of the “CIA Triad”: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
Confidentiality means who has access to information.
Integrity is about the strength of your network. If someone can manipulate your network or information, then the integrity of your system is vulnerable.
Availability refers to the security of your network. If a breach occurs and it prevents you from using your network, they are affecting your availability. Think about what happens to a city or hospital when hackers take control.
Frequency of attacks
In 2023, 48% of organizations reported an increase in cyberattacks. Most blue chip companies and the US government, for example, are under constant bombardment and fend off hundreds of attacks every second. Yes, that’s what we said. EVERY SECOND. More than half, 54% of companies in the United States have experienced a cyberattack in the last 12 months.
Coding and cybersecurity
No matter what you do in IT, there is an element of cybersecurity. They go hand in hand. Coding is pivotal in cybersecurity. Your code is often the vulnerable point when it comes to cybersecurity, especially with automation and APIs.
Security is taking a more prominent role as part of DevSecOps. Every language has cybersecurity implications—Python for its ease of use. Java is important since so many apps were built in Java. C and C Sharp are important as most operating systems are built on top of C.
Job opportunities in cybersecurity
As Brandon mentioned, coding is an essential part of cybersecurity, so there are a lot of job opportunities in the cybersecurity category. As a general rule, they break down into three categories: Blue Team (Defensive), Red Team (Offensive), and Purple Team (Collaborative).
Blue Teams, such as SOC analysts, architects, and CISO people, use tools such as SIEM, SOAR, NMS, and others to prevent attacks or notify teams when attacks occur.
Red Teams are made up of ethical hackers and auditors using Burp Suite and Kali Linux tools to try to break into and test the security of systems.
Purple Team members work with both sides to look for gaps in coverage.
Cybersecurity acronyms and buzzwords to know
Zero Trust – The main notion behind zero trust architecture is to “never trust, always verify.”
SASE – Secure Access Service Edge technology is used to deliver wide area network and security controls as a cloud computing service directly to the source of connection rather than a data center.
SDP – Software-defined perimeter is also known as a “black cloud” approach to computer security, which doesn’t allow access to a network without DNS information or IP addresses.
SBOMs – Software Bill of Materials. Companies are trusting vendors less and less (Zero Trust), so they want to know everything about a vendor’s software so they know what risk they are (potentially) bringing into their environment.
XDR – Extended Detection and Response is a cybersecurity technology that monitors and mitigates cybersecurity threats. More and more cybersecurity providers are offering a complete suite of cybersecurity products.
AI/Machine Learning – Many companies, especially the DoD, are banning the use of AI because of the unknown security implications.
Tips to getting a job in cybersecurity
It’s hard to break into cybersecurity without experience, but you have to start somewhere. There is always an element of cybersecurity in any IT job, especially network and coding. So, if you are interested in a career in cybersecurity, you might have to start as a coder but really buy into the security element of your job. Make it a point to become an apprentice of the security aspects and try to learn everything you can. Certifications matter, too, so seek to obtain every cybersecurity certification you can and teach yourself to become an expert. Cybersecurity, like coding, involves continuous learning on the topic, so the time to get started is now.
Coding Skills / Life Skills
Understanding and utilizing cybersecurity will help you build up your skills and increase your value to your employer.
And don't forget – this is a skill that keeps on giving. As you go down your coding path after graduating from TrueCoders, continue to build on your knowledge in cybersecurity.