You might have asked yourself before taking the first step of learning, how long does it take to learn Cybersecurity, or How long does it take to become an expert? in this blog, we will provide you with a straight answer for each security field, but let's dig deeper in detail as it will help you in your learning journey:
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity refers to the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, theft, damage, or disruption. It involves implementing measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information in digital environments, and where organizations and individuals rely on technology and the internet in almost every aspect of their lives, cybersecurity plays a critical role in securing sensitive information and defending against cyber threats. These threats can come in various forms, such as malicious software (malware), hacking attempts, phishing attacks, data breaches, and even social engineering.
Cybersecurity is not one field, it is many fields, it as Offensive Security, Security Analysis, Security Architecture, Application Security, Cloud Security, Digital Forensics, Cryptography, Network Security, Risk Analysis, Secure Development, Malware Analysis, Cyber Investigation, Deep Web Monitoring, Security Operation Center (SOC) .... etc. each of each has its own approximate time for you to excel in it and it depends on your level of knowledge, and also your continuous learning.
Why Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is a highly-paying job, even juniors get paid high compared to most of the other IT fields, Cybersecurity professionals must have specific skills and knowledge to maintain the security of an organization, lack of knowledge is a complete loophole and any company could be targeted by anonymized hacker groups at any time, it will be not expected and will cause the company to lose thousands and thousands of dollars, and if they are big-sized companies it will be millions of dollars, not only losing, most of the companies will be forced to pay those hackers in the sake of stopping their attacks in any form. the importance of experienced and knowledgeable Cybersecurity specialists makes the world more secure and safer and will save companies from being shut down.
How much do Cybersecurity professionals get paid?
Cybersecurity fields get paid high and each company is different, however, you as a Cybersecurity student should know the minimum amount to get paid, some companies out there don't value the importance of Cybersecurity due to a lack of awareness, and they offer very low amount to pay for Cybersecurity professionals, this is very important for you as a student and complete beginner to know how much you get paid when you get hired by a company for different Cybersecurity domains, you can search on Google and check websites such as ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor and other accurate and trustworthy websites to help you expect how much you will get paid when you become qualified.
How long does it take to learn and become an expert?
This is an important question, Cybersecurity is not one field and the time required to become an expert in a specific cybersecurity domain can vary based on several factors, including your prior knowledge, educational background, practical experience, aptitude, and the level of dedication you devote to learning. While it's really challenging to provide accurate timelines, below are the approximate time it may take to gain expertise in different cybersecurity domains:
- Network Security:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1 year. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 1 year to 2 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 3 years to 6 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Cloud Security:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1 year. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 1 year to 2 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 3 years to 5 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Digital Forensics:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1.5 years. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 2 years to 3 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 4 years to 7 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Penetration Testing, Ethical Hacking, and Bug Bounty Hunting:
- Foundational Knowledge: 3 months to 1.5 years. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 2 years to 3 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 4 years to 7 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Application Security:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1 year. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 2 years to 3 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 3 years to 7 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Data Privacy and Compliance:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1.5 years. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 2 years to 3 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 4 years to 7 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Security Architect:
- Foundational Knowledge: 2 years to 4 years. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 4 years to 5 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 5 years to 8 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- ٍSecurity Analyst:
- Foundational Knowledge: 6 months to 1 year. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 1.5 years to 4 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 4 years to 10 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
- Cryptography:
- Foundational Knowledge: 1.5 years to 3 years. (Qualified Internship level)
- Practical Experience: 3 years to 5 years. (Qualified Junior Level)
- Expertise: 5 years to 10 years. (Qualified Senior Level)
Conclusion
Becoming a cybersecurity expert requires a combination of education, practical experience, and continuous learning. The time it takes to reach an expert level varies based on prior knowledge, dedication, available resources, and the complexity of the field.
Obtaining a degree in computer science or a related field takes 2 to 4 years while earning certifications can take several months. Gaining practical experience typically requires 2 to 4 years, and reaching the expertise level may take 5 to 10+ years of experience.
Salaries for cybersecurity professionals vary based on factors like experience, location, and job role. Entry-level positions start around $60,000 per year, with experienced professionals earning over $100,000 annually.
The importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. In today's digital world, protecting information, infrastructure, and privacy is crucial. Cybersecurity professionals play a core role in detecting threats, ensuring resilience, and maintaining trust.
If you want to become an expert, contact us for private training with one of our certified experts along with dedicated and advanced real-world simulating labs, also you can check our Online Training courses.