Cybersecurity Jobs in High Demand: Here’s How to Get Started

Cary, NC, March 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cybercrime losses spiked 49% in 2022, costing Americans $10.3 billion and continuing an alarming trend of cyber threats to critical infrastructure sectors, according to a report just released by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. As enterprises double down on securing their networks, penetration testing roles are in high demand, estimated by O’Net Online to grow by almost 35,000 in the next decade. A career in pentesting can be lucrative, with Junior Penetration Tester salaries averaging $87,105 and senior Penetration Tester salaries averaging $97,666, according to Glassdoor. 

Pentesting roles are unique in that they often do not require 4-year or advanced degrees. Instead, most roles require industry certifications such as INE’s eJPT for entry-level positions. Earning this type of certification is affordable and efficient, with most completing their training and achieving certification in less than a year. 

A Junior Penetration Tester is an entry-level role on a cybersecurity team that can lead to more advanced positions. Junior Pentesters search for vulnerabilities and attempt to exploit them as a preventative cybersecurity measure. The eJPT Certification and corresponding Learning Path enable students to learn and demonstrate mastery of all the necessary skills for the role at their own pace. 

The eJPT covers:

• Assessment Methodologies
• Host and Network Auditing
• Host and Network Penetration Testing
• Web Application Penetration Testing 

The eJPT Certification exam is designed to be accessible and practical, ensuring that in the end, students have what it takes to perform as a Junior Pentester. The exam includes a combination of multiple-choice questions and hands-on labs, with a time limit of 48 hours to complete. It is open book, mirroring the experience Junior Penetration Testers will have in the real world. 

Regardless of whether practitioners are new to cybersecurity or upskilling, taking time to study for the exam will increase confidence and boost chances of success. INE’s Penetration Testing Student Learning Path is designed to help students be Certification Challenge ready. 

The hands-on learning path:

• Prepares students for an entry-level position within a red team
• Exposes students to bug bounty basics
• Provides the skills and practice necessary to pass the eJPT Certification exam 

“Michael’s Story” – An eJPT Success Story 

If you ask Michael Padrick what life is like now, you’ll be met with an ear-to-ear smile that is as bright as it is contagious. It’s the kind of smile that comes from overcoming serious challenges, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, and realizing you are stronger than you thought. It’s the kind of smile that comes from a genuine confidence that you are exactly where you are meant to be. 

Two years ago, Michael wasn’t smiling very much. Balancing a physically demanding career he despised with the obligations of providing for the the family he loved was draining him of everything. Putting one foot in front of the next felt exhausting and overwhelming. 

It was a simple conversation that changed the trajectory of Michael’s life forever. 

After bouncing around a career change in his head, Michael started taking online courses in cybersecurity while still running a successful but demanding pool cleaning business in southern California. Although he enjoyed the challenges of cybersecurity, he found the coursework dry, dull, and uninspiring. He hit the wall. On the brink of dropping the entire project and chalking it up to a loss, a friend suggested Michael check out INE for training. 

Within an hour, he was hooked. Inspired. Challenged. Engaged. 

Michael devoted his spare time to studying and passed the eJPT, INE’s Junior Penetration Tester certification. He immediately began working on eCPPT, INE’s Certified Professional Penetration Tester certification, and passed it too. Motivated by success, Michael began applying for jobs in cybersecurity and plotting how to sell his pool cleaning business and transition into the life he wanted to live. 

The opportunity came quietly, but Michael felt a flutter of excitement. The Federal Reserve needed a Penetration Tester/Red Team Operator, and Michael fit the bill perfectly. A painstaking interview process followed, and after the final interview, Michael heard the words he’d been dreaming of – “You’re Hired.” 

As he settled into his new position, life began to change. Every day was exciting and challenging. Michael sold his pool business and started working from home, available to his kids at the end of a long day, and no longer physically exhausted from a labor-intensive job. He shifted into a leadership role as lead Purple Team Operator and Penetration Tester. He began to feel comfortable and confident in his new role. He began asserting himself at work, in meetings, and quickly gained the respect of management and his team. 

Just under two years after sliding himself into the driver’s seat of his career, Michael’s life is completely different. He’ll tell you he loves his job. His benefits are incredible. He is able to take care of his family emotionally, physically, and financially. The stress – gone. It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t come fast. But ask Michael what life is like right now, and he’ll grin that huge grin. He’ll say it’s better than he could have ever imagined because he took control of his career. Because he buckled down, worked hard, and found a training regimen that inspired him to be the best version of himself. 

Michael will tell you he couldn’t have done it on his own. 

No one can. 

But with the right support, anyone can. 

Start your journey today! Sign up now.