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a lot of money for data security analysts (DSAs) who can stop the
attacks and secure vital information.
DSAs guard against cyberattacks, hacking, phishing opera-
tions that seek out private data, and so-called greenmail, which
is a variant of blackmail in which a hacker steals confi dential busi-
ness info and demands money for keeping it secret. A securi-
ty analyst must fi nd vulnerable points where an outsider might
breach a system with a stolen password, a phishing e-mail, or
a malware program installed remotely or on-site. Any company
that communicates information over the Internet or other data
networks is a target—and needs its data protected.
A DSA knows how protective computer fi rewalls work and un-
derstands encryption technology, which is the science of hiding
data by rendering it into alphanumeric codes to which only key
holders have access. Security analysts perform regular security
audits, train employees and users in security procedures, set up
policies, and manage passwords and access levels. To break into
the fi eld, analysts “need to decide what to specialize in,” reports
Roger Grimes in a CSO Online Security Adviser column. “The
computer security fi eld is huge and covers dozens of disciplines
including fi rewalls, IDS [intrusion detection system], SIEM [secu-
rity information and event management], security assessment,
host hardening, and patching.” These systems and techniques
provide data networks with a protective layer to guard against
cyberattacks.
DSAs who work in security operations centers (SOCs) spend
their days in front of computer monitors or wall screens in large
control rooms, directing traffi c through a network and dealing with
a constant stream of threats. “We never know what is going to
happen,” comments Jim Treinen, a security analyst for Protect-
Wise, a network security fi rm. “A day can start out calm or start
out on fi re and very quickly go from one or another.”
On arrival, the prior shift updates the DSA on the system’s
status and any incidents that may have occurred. Tough deci-
sions must be made; it is not a job for robots or software alone.

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