Is Coding Required For Cyber Security?
Here are the essential skills needed for a career in cybersecurity
- Blog
- 5 Mins Read
- Updated on 2nd Jan 2024.
When I considered starting my career in cybersecurity, the first question that came to my mind was whether coding is required to learn cybersecurity, and if you are reading this article, then I am sure you also have the same doubts I had a few years ago.
In this article, I will share my personal experience of whether coding is a must-learn aspect for you or not to start your career in cybersecurity, which I deem after exploring the field of Cyber security over the last 3 years.
So without any further delay, let’s start…
Table of Contents
Is Coding Required For Cyber Security?
No, coding is not required if you want to start your cyber security career and looking for an entry-level job in this field. However, if you’re looking to get into a high-paying cybersecurity position, then acquiring coding knowledge will surely help.
What skills should you know to start your career in Cyber Security?
I hope now you have a clear idea about the job positions which require coding knowledge and that you can get into without any prior experience in coding.
However, that is not the only attribute you have to look for. If you desire to start your career as a cybersecurity expert, then some other crucial soft skills are essential to comprehend, no matter which job position you are planning to get started with.
Some of the most important soft skills that will help you with a bright future in cybersecurity are:
- Critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to learn quickly and adapt to a changing environment
- Adept understanding of different technologies
- Strong communication skills to work within teams or convey information
- A detailed-oriented mindset to analyze data
So, whether you are planning to switch from a Non-IT background or complete freshers, improving the above skill set will surely help you start your cyber security career.
Cyber security jobs that don't require coding?
As I said in the above section, getting started in cyber security doesn’t require coding languages. Now let me share with you some cyber security jobs you can get into without prior coding knowledge.
Here are the top 5 most common Cyber security jobs you can apply for without having coding Knowledge.
- Information Security Analyst:
- Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
- Product Manager
- Compliance Officer Security Auditor
As you can see, the above are some entry-level cyber security jobs you can also go with without prior coding knowledge.
Cyber Security Job Roles that required Coding
Now let’s talk about some job roles that require an understanding of coding language. So, if you are planning to start your career in the below fields, then you must know to code.
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Software Engineer/Programmer
- Software Developer
- Ethical Hackers or Penetration Testers
- Digital Forensics Analyst
- Cryptographer
So, coding is a must-to-know language if you aim to work at any of the above job positions.
What are the Coding languages to learn for Job roles which require coding?
Below are some of the most well-known coding languages you should know if you are looking to start your career in Cyber Security with job roles that need coding,
- Python (highly recommended for beginners)
- Java
- JavaScript
- C++
- Ruby
- C#
These are some of the coding languages you should know if you are interested in building your career in Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing. However, if you are more interested in Web application testing, languages like CSS, HTML, and PHP are a must to learn programming languages.
How to Learn Coding as a Fresher?
Do I have to join a separate course to learn to code? This is one question we are encountering the most. Well, the answer is it depends.
To get into entry-level positions, a basic understanding is also enough. You can start with self-learning and get help from online resources to get more clarification.
On the other side, if you are unable to understand the basics on your own, then taking a personal or online course is the best option for you.
However, most of the Institutes where you are planning to enroll for cyber security courses will help you teach the basics of code, including Cyber Security Masters.
We have a dedicated module on languages where we cover basics to advance levels of coding, which is required to clear your fundamentals of coding. As a beginner, you must also make an additional effort to understand coding.
To do that, below are some of the steps you can take to understand coding in a quick time and in a practical manner.
1. Self Learning
Self-learning is one of the first steps to help you understand coding languages. Below are some of the platforms that will help you learn more about the topic.
YouTube:
Nowadays, YouTube is one of the easiest-to-access platforms where you can find all your answer in video format. And if you want a quick understanding of coding, you can take help with it.
However, the only disadvantage to learning from YouTube is you will need help finding people to answer your query. So for that, you can take the help of your tutor who is giving you the Cyber Security training.
Google:
There are a lot more websites available on Google that can help you to understand the concept of coding and gives you brief about the terminology which is used in coding languages,
2. Courses
If you struggle with the above options, taking the course is the best way to tackle it. You can go with a crash course that gives you the basics about these languages so that while reading about the terms, you will have some understanding of what you are learning in your cybersecurity classes.
3. Boot camp
Another way to get into learning is by attending boot camp. However, a boot camp is the most challenging thing to understand in these languages course. Still, if you are confined and give some additional boost to your learning, you can also through coding teaching by attending the coot camps.
4. Reading Books
Reading books related to coding fundaments is also one of the best ways to start if you are entirely new to coding. There are numerous books available in the market and online stores that can help you increase your coding knowledge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, knowing at least the coding basics will help you understand most of the topics while taking Cyber Security Training. However, if you are not interested, you can skip it as well.
I hope all of your doubts are clear, which you might have related to whether coding is required for Cyber Security or not. Please let me know in the comment section if you need further information on this topic. We will surely help you with it.