Have you ever wondered how much is an Information Security Engineer salary costs? They earn more than a hundred thousand dollars in a year. To get you through the nitty-gritty, read this article.
What is an Information Security Engineer?
Information Security Engineers are also known as Information Security Analysts. In a sense, they do deep analyses of an entity’s computer networks & systems. Thereafter they develop strategies and implement these for the entity’s security welfare.
Also, they monitor the progress and performance of these strategies. If gaps are found, they further engineer security strategies and make them work. Information Security report directly to upper management.
Are Information Security Jobs In Demand?
The direct answer to this will be, yes. Yes, this is an in-demand job.
One prime reason is the rise of cyber attacks on businesses on a massive scale. Moreover, these attacks not only grow in sophistication but also in frequency. Moreover, information is a vital asset to a business. Thus we cannot deny the fact that we need this to be maintained and secured. Certainly, more Information Security job professionals are in need.
In fact, the statistics (by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) forecasts that an increase of 18 percent is to be expected with these job positions until 2024. Certainly, a higher growth rate compared with other job sectors.
What are the Duties & Responsibilities of an Information Security Engineer?
Aside from the general job description mentioned above, we’re breaking down their major duties & responsibilities into five.
1. Designs Information Security Plans
The Information Security Engineer is responsible for designing security practices and standards. Moreover, they develop this according to what the entity needs. In addition, they encourage security awareness through training within his co-employees.
2. Implements The Plan
They implement security plans by installing the needed firewalls and data encryption programs. Also, they assist co-employees with security issues.
3. Assesses & Tests Vulnerabilities
They do regular check-ups periodically. Included with this is the performance of penetration testing. This way they can find and assess the system’s weak spots. Thus, therefore implement needed procedures to fill the gaps.
4. Monitors Data Breaches
Monitoring is now mostly done with the help of software. So the Infosec Engineers do the installation of this software. As a result, the software can notify or alert him for instance a detected breach occurs.
However, monitoring cannot be solely dependent on the use of the software. Thus, the Information Security Engineer should do the monitoring himself too.
5. Investigates Breach Incidents
Lastly, in case a breach does occur, then an investigation must be made. With this, the Information Security Engineer is also responsible.
So they lead the investigation and generate reports to create documentation of the said incident.
How Much is an Information Security Engineer Salary?
Considering the amount of salary an Information Security Engineer earns, it depends on the company who hires. Also, it depends on one’s skillsets and certifications. But the average earnings as of December 2020 in the United States amounts to $134,307. That is between the range of $121,000 to $148,000.