Do Cybersecurity Engineers Code?

Within the field of computer science, several different roles require various skill sets. The demand for cybersecurity roles increases as the threat of network security breaches related to data continues to rise. For people interested in honing their cybersecurity skills, there are common questions about which other computer skills they might need to expand or learn, especially programming or coding.

Most cybersecurity jobs involve coding at varying levels. Having a working knowledge of coding skills is almost always required.

Are Cybersecurity Engineers Required To Code as Part of Their Job?

Cybersecurity engineers are responsible for designing and implementing various digital security tools. To help create these programs, cybersecurity engineers must display at least an understanding of programming skills, if not take responsibility for coding directly. Unlike security analysts, cybersecurity engineers are responsible for implementing fixes, not just threat identification and assessment.

Some entry-level cybersecurity positions will rely more heavily on analysis and real-time problem-solving. However, advanced positions will almost always require the cybersecurity engineer to take a hands-on approach to coding at some point.

What Are Cybersecurity Engineers?

Cybersecurity engineers work in various industries, but the role is almost always the same. These engineers are cybersecurity experts who work to protect data and information systems from external threats.

The daily tasks of a cybersecurity engineer include input in every stage of systems security, including:

• monitoring and identifying potential threats
• designing and implementing new security software
• monitoring security tools after they've been put in place, looking for vulnerabilities
• emergency preparedness for real-time incident response

Although students need degrees in cybersecurity for jobs in the field, education for cybersecurity engineers doesn't stop at graduation. The fundamentals covered in a degree program can't keep up with the constantly changing field of digital security.

Many cybersecurity certification programs and bootcamps cover emerging skills needed for a cybersecurity career.

Responsibilities of Cybersecurity Engineers

A cybersecurity engineer works in multiple areas of digital security, combining various technical skills and soft skills to protect data while conveying relevant information to stakeholders throughout organizations.

Some of the skills and responsibilities of a cybersecurity engineer include:

Audit Security Technology Systems

Much like a security guard patrols the hallways of a building looking for threats, a cybersecurity engineer is responsible for security technology system administration. Ensuring that all of the security technology systems are in place and operating while looking for security risks is among the most significant tasks in the field of cybersecurity.

Identify Software Threats

Software threats come in a variety of forms. Cybersecurity experts perform tasks like malware analysis to look for software threats within operating systems and web applications to keep their organization's and customer's data safe. These tasks are one of the areas of cyber threat assessment where knowledge of programming languages is essential. Understanding coding languages and seeing potential holes or weaknesses is invaluable.

In addition to looking for threats and weaknesses, many cybersecurity engineers and analysts actively look for threats and test systems. Penetration testing is a specialization within cybersecurity that uses ethical hacking to find weak spots in code. Penetration testers then work with software development teams to fix and patch any holes they find. These ethical hackers are vital in finding problems that others may miss.

Create Solutions To System Threats

Cybersecurity professionals need to be able to identify cyber threats. However, this information is only helpful in knowing what needs repairing. Knowing how to fix these problems is what sets cybersecurity professionals apart. Cybersecurity professionals who are also coders and programmers can help with scripting programs and other software engineering tasks to prevent cyber attacks.

Continuously Learn About Potential New Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity engineers must continuously learn about new potential threats. In addition to certifications and bootcamps that teach new skills, engineers must keep up to date on various scripting languages used in computer programming.

Some of these programming languages are:

• Python
• SQL
• JAVA
• Javascript
• PHP
• Ruby

These languages are the most commonly used in computer programming, but new languages are developing, especially as they relate to machine learning and other automation processes. Cybersecurity engineers are the first responders of the information security world, and they need to continually learn to stay current on what threats their organization might face.

Troubleshoot Any Software Issues That Arise

Software issues are one of the main ways that hackers can perform cyber attacks. Cybersecurity engineers work to identify these issues in software and operating systems like Windows and Linux. Identifying these problems is the first step in threat mitigation. Cybersecurity engineers use their coding knowledge to repair code or make improvements to the systems.