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Security Roles

“Paving the Path to Cyber Excellence”

🔴 Offensive Security Roles

1. Penetration Tester

  • Summary: Authorized ethical hacker who simulates attacks on networks, systems, and applications to identify vulnerabilities and provide actionable remediation. Delivers detailed reporting and supports compliance and resilience efforts (testgorilla.com, simplilearn.com).

  • Certifications: OSCP, GPEN, CEH, CompTIA PenTest+, LPT‑Master.

  • Hard Skills: Exploit techniques, vulnerability scanning, scripting (Python/Bash), OS internals, report writing (cybersecurityguide.org, intaso.co).

  • Soft Skills: Ethical judgment, persistent problem solving, clear communication, continuous learning (intaso.co).

2. Exploit Developer

  • Summary: Builds proof-of-concept exploits for vulnerabilities, focusing on deep research and creativity. Often supports red teams and vulnerability disclosures.

  • Certifications: OSEE/OSEP, GXPN, OSWE, OSED, CRTP.

  • Hard Skills: Assembly & memory management, advanced debugging, reverse engineering, fuzzing, shellcode/kernel exploitation.

  • Soft Skills: Meticulous attention to detail, research-driven, creative problem-solving, perseverance.

3. Vulnerability Researcher

  • Summary: Discovers unknown (zero-day) and known vulnerabilities in software/hardware, contributing to defensive strategies or security disclosures.

  • Certifications: GXPN, OSWE, OSED, OSEP, eCXS.

  • Hard Skills: Fuzzing, binary analysis, reverse engineering, root cause discovery, exploit testing.

  • Soft Skills: Intellectual curiosity, analytical perseverance, documentation skills.

4. Adversary Emulation Specialist

  • Summary: Designs and performs red-team exercises replicating real-world threat actors to test enterprise defenses and team readiness.

  • Certifications: CRTO, Red Team Operator, OSCP, OSEP, GXPN.

  • Hard Skills: Advanced C2 frameworks, persistence evasion, threat actor TTP mapping.

  • Soft Skills: Scenario planning, cross-team collaboration, adaptive mindset.

5. Social Engineering Expert

  • Summary: Tests an organization’s human vulnerabilities via phishing, pretexting, and physical infiltration to enhance awareness and training.

  • Certifications: Social Engineering Professional (SEPP), OSCP, CEH, others relevant.

  • Hard Skills: Tailored phishing campaigns, OPSEC awareness, scripting for reconnaissance.

  • Soft Skills: Psychological insight, persuasion, creative storytelling, ethical sensitivity.

🔵 Defensive Security Roles

6. SOC Analyst

  • Summary: First line of defense; monitors security systems, triages alerts, escalates incidents, and supports incident handling (offsec.com).

  • Certifications: CSA, CySA+, GCIH, GCIA, CEH.

  • Hard Skills: Log aggregation, SIEM tools, incident response, networking, malware orientation .

  • Soft Skills: Calm under pressure, analytical multitasking, communication, teamwork .

7. Incident Responder

  • Summary: Investigates, contains, and remediates live security incidents, preserving forensic evidence and collaborating across teams.

  • Certifications: GCIH, GCFA, CFIA, eCFR, CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+.

  • Hard Skills: DFIR tools, malware triage, host/network forensics, automation scripting.

  • Soft Skills: Judgement, coordination, clear reporting, stress resilience.

8. Threat Hunter

  • Summary: Proactively searches enterprise environments to uncover hidden adversaries and build detection logic.

  • Certifications: GCTI, GCIA, CySA+, GIAC Advanced Threat Hunting.

  • Hard Skills: Behavioral analytics, threat intel analysis, EDR/SIEM, scripting.

  • Soft Skills: Pattern recognition, curiosity, persistence, reporting clarity.

9. Digital Forensics Analyst

  • Summary: Investigates breaches by preserving and analyzing digital evidence across devices and networks to reconstruct attack timelines.

  • Certifications: GCFA, EnCE, CFCE, CISSP, CHFI.

  • Hard Skills: Disk/memory forensics, timeline building, chain-of-custody documentation, use of forensics suites.

  • Soft Skills: Methodical precision, ethical responsibility, narrative clarity in reports.

10. Malware Analyst

  • Summary: Dissects malware samples to understand behavior, develop indicators, and assist defense teams in mitigation.

  • Certifications: GREM, GMOB, GXPN, OSCP (bonus), GCFA.

  • Hard Skills: Static/dynamic analysis, sandboxing, reverse engineering, protocol decoding.

  • Soft Skills: Patience, pattern analysis, attention to detail, documentation focus.

⚙️ Security Engineering Roles

11. Security Engineer

  • Summary: Builds, integrates, and maintains security defenses such as IAM, firewalls, and hardening processes across infrastructure.

  • Certifications: CISSP, CCSP, CISM, Security+, CCNP Security.

  • Hard Skills: Secure architecture, cloud/infrastructure security, DevSecOps, automation.

  • Soft Skills: Systems thinking, facilitation, stakeholder communication, cross-team collaboration.

12. Cloud Security Engineer

  • Summary: Secures data, configurations, and workloads in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) using best practices and tools.

  • Certifications: AWS Security‑Specialty, Azure AZ‑500, CCSP, GCP Cloud Security Engineer.

  • Hard Skills: Cloud IAM, key management, infrastructure as code, monitoring.

  • Soft Skills: Detail orientation, cloud platform coordination, documentation, auditing communication.

13. DevSecOps Engineer

  • Summary: Embeds security into continuous integration and delivery pipelines, automating code analysis and compliance.

  • Certifications: DevSecOps Practitioner, CISSP, CCSP, CompTIA Cloud+, SANS DevOps.

  • Hard Skills: CI/CD, container security, IaC scanning, security testing automation.

  • Soft Skills: Agile mindset, cross-functional teamwork, adaptability, communication.

14. Network Security Engineer

  • Summary: Designs and secures enterprise networks using advanced firewall rules, segmentation, and threat monitoring.

  • Certifications: CCNP Security, Palo Alto PCNSE, Fortinet NSE 4/5/7, CCIE Security.

  • Hard Skills: Network protocols, firewall/IPS tuning, VPNs, traffic analysis, IDS/IPS.

  • Soft Skills: Analytical troubleshooting, vendor coordination, policy communication, project planning.

15. Application Security Engineer

  • Summary: Ensures secure software development through code reviews, security testing, and developer training.

  • Certifications: CSSLP, OSWE, CEH, GIAC Secure Software Programmer (GSSP), SAMATE.

  • Hard Skills: Secure coding, SAST/DAST, threat modeling, SDLC integration.

  • Soft Skills: Developer empathy, teach-back skills, clear documentation, patience.

16. Infrastructure Security Engineer

  • Summary: Secures on-prem and hybrid physical systems, servers, virtualization stacks, and orchestration layers.

  • Certifications: CISSP, CCSP, CompTIA Server+, RHCE Security, Microsoft SC-100.

  • Hard Skills: Host hardening, patching automation, hypervisor security, storage/network controls.

  • Soft Skills: Operational awareness, policy enforcement, coordination with sysadmins, reliability mindset.

🧠 Research Roles

17. Security Researcher / Reverse Engineer

  • Summary: Explores novel malware, vulnerabilities, and protocols; develops tools and publishes findings to advance security knowledge.

  • Certifications: GREM, GXPN, OSWE, eCXS, OSCP.

  • Hard Skills: Binary reversing, fuzzing, tool creation, advanced protocol analysis, exploit dev.

  • Soft Skills: Scholarly curiosity, tenacity, academic writing, knowledge sharing.

18. Cryptanalyst

  • Summary: Analyzes and breaks cryptographic algorithms or strengthens cryptosystems through security analysis.

  • Certifications: CISSP‑ISSAP, Crypto-specific masters/courses.

  • Hard Skills: Cryptography theory, math, protocol analysis, side-channel awareness.

  • Soft Skills: Abstract thinking, precision, persistence, clear technical reporting.

19. AI/ML Security Researcher

  • Summary: Studies adversarial AI threats and defenses, integrating ML into security applications.

  • Certifications: Certified Data Scientist, AI Security courses (SANS, Coursera, etc.).

  • Hard Skills: ML frameworks, adversarial testing, secure model deployment, data engineering.

  • Soft Skills: AI curiosity, cross-domain collaboration, nuanced evaluation, creativity.

20. Threat Intelligence Analyst

  • Summary: Gathers and analyzes threat actor data to build profiles and improve organizational awareness and detection capabilities.

  • Certifications: GCTI, CTIA, OSINT‑related certs.

  • Hard Skills: IOC/TTP analysis, intel platforms, open-source data analysis, reporting.

  • Soft Skills: Critical thinking, clear intelligence reporting, collaboration, alertness to patterns.

21. Bug Bounty Researcher

  • Summary: Independently discovers security flaws in public programs, reports responsibly, and builds a reputation/portfolio.

  • Certifications: Bug Bounty Hunter (HTB CBBH), OSCP, CEH.

  • Hard Skills: Web/mobile/vulnerability hunting, recon, exploit chaining.

  • Soft Skills: Self-discipline, report quality, patience, community engagement.

🛡️ Officer / Leadership Roles

22. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

  • Summary: Executive-level leader overseeing cybersecurity strategy, governance, and risk in alignment with business objectives.

  • Certifications: CISSP, CISM, CISA, CCISO, GSTRT.

  • Hard Skills: Strategic planning, compliance frameworks, incident governance, budgeting, third-party risk.

  • Soft Skills: Executive presence, leadership strategy, stakeholder influence, crisis management.

23. Security Compliance Analyst / Auditor

  • Summary: Validates adherence to standards (ISO, NIST, GDPR, PCI), audits systems, and helps enforce controls.

  • Certifications: CISA, CISSP, ISO27001 Lead Auditor, CRISC, CISM.

  • Hard Skills: Control assessment, audit processes, compliance mapping, report drafting.

  • Soft Skills: Objectivity, analytical rigor, communication with stakeholders, detail orientation.

24. Risk Analyst / GRC Specialist

  • Summary: Quantifies and manages information security risks, establishes governance, and maintains compliance lifecycle.

  • Certifications: CRISC, CISSP, CISM, ISO27005, TOGAF.

  • Hard Skills: Risk modeling, policy frameworks, risk tools, audit/report generation.

  • Soft Skills: Strategic judgement, interdisciplinary collaboration, mitigation advising, negotiation.

25. Privacy Officer

  • Summary: Ensures personal data handling aligns with privacy laws and ethics (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA), guiding compliance strategy.

  • Certifications: CIPT/CIPM, CIPP, CISM, CISSP, ISO27001 LA.

  • Hard Skills: Privacy law, DPIAs, anonymization, data flow review.

  • Soft Skills: Ethical clarity, executive communication, training facilitation, stakeholder mediation.