What is a cyber security generalist?

As a Cyber Security Generalist, you'll be largely responsible for every aspect of the security of an organisation’s data and its information systems. It's a fantastic career for someone who didn't comfortable with a niche and wants multiple specialists. 

In detail, you may:

• Track vulnerabilities in software, systems and networks
• Identify and assess cyber threats
• Identify and assess cyber security risks and recommend measures to manage them
• Design security controls, including those affecting the selection and development of
• systems
• Draft cyber security policies and procedures, particularly for the secure operation of
• systems
• Test and report on the security of an organisation’s systems and networks
• Manage external providers
• Advise IT staff and business managers on cyber security risks and controls, including
• procedures and staff behaviours
• Brief and train non-cyber staff on cyber security awareness and safe practice

As a Senior Practitioner, you may also:

• Be responsible for the overall performance and security of live systems
• Work with managers in other teams to ensure effective cyber security across the
• organisation
• Recruit, train and assess practitioners

What are the transferable skills?

Personal

• Remaining calm under pressure
• Self-management
• Communicating with non-technical colleagues about technical matters
• Producing written and verbal reports
• Managing suppliers
• Prioritising complex sets of demands
• Understanding business and user needs
• Evaluating the probable social, commercial, cultural, ethical and environmental
• consequences of an action Specialist
• Risk assessment and management
• Project management
• Procurement
• Cyber security awareness training
• Monitoring system performance and security

Junior

• IT helpdesk

Senior:

• IT project manager or development manager
• IT operations manager
• business operations manager
• security officer or manager

Can you join from other roles? 

You might start, as a junior generalist practitioner, as an apprentice. If you start as a graduate you should have a degree in

• Cyber security or information security
• Software or computer engineering
• Computer science

Or, within an organisation, you might move into this specialism from a role in:

• IT development
• IT management
• Security
• Business risk management

You might also move into this specialism from a different role in one of these cyber security specialisms:

• Cyber Security Governance & Risk Management
• Vulnerability Management
• Cyber Security Audit & Assurance
• Secure System Development
• Secure Operations

If you're looking for a new role in cybersecurity then view our latest vacancies page here, or get in touch with a member of the team here