There are very few businesses that don’t need a cybersecurity expert today. In the past couple of decades, the role of a cybersecurity expert has become a coveted one. A valued professional in this sector is detail oriented, can solve problems creatively, has clear communication skills in addition to being adept in computer science basics and manage information competently.

These are surely some broad expectations of quality cybersecurity professionals. But there are certain roles that are very popular now. Here are some that we think make the cut:

Chief Information Security Officer: The CISO is one of the newer ranks in C-level leadership. He/she oversees general operations of a company's or organization's IT security division. CISOs are directly responsible for planning, coordinating and directing all computer, network and data security needs of employers, and directly work with upper-level management to determine an organization's unique cyber security needs. The role requires individuals with a strong background in information architecture and management skills.

Application security engineer: An application security engineer basically creates, implements, and maintains computer applications and software. Majority of their time is spent in testing software and writing code. Some of them can go on to manage projects. A knowledge of programming languages like C, C#, Java, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript, is needed.

Security engineer: Security engineers are responsible for creating and implementing solutions to secure an organization’s products and systems, in addition to being able to assess an organizational workflows. Incidence response should be strong, as well as knowledge of computer forensics.

Network security engineer: Network security engineers play an essential part in the deployment, configuration, and administration of network- and security-related hardware and software. This includes firewalls, routers, network monitoring tools, and VPNs (virtual private networks). They are also tasked with performing network security risk assessments, and might be asked to help design network infrastructure. 

Information security analyst: Information security analysts are responsible for examining security problems and finding solutions. Their duties include researching the industry, finding security threats, and developing strategies to ensure their organization remains secure. The job demands a wide skillset, and requires individuals to work with a broad range of people, including analysts inside and outside the organization and senior personnel. 

IT security specialist: IT security specialists analyze an organization’s cybersecurity posture and its past breaches to understand how incidents occur and what needs to be done to prevent them. Given that IT and cybersecurity are such broad topics, organizations will usually have many IT security specialists, each one focusing on a specific area

Penetration Tester: Penetration testing involves the proactive authorized employment of testing techniques on IT infrastructures to identify system vulnerabilities. Penetration testers attempt to hack into computer and network systems to pre-emptively discover operating system vulnerabilities, service and application problems, improper configurations and more, before outside intruders have the opportunity to cause real damage.

Source: IT Governance USA & Learn How To Become