Build Your Skills
So you now know which area you wish to work in. What next?
This depends on the specialism you have chosen, but in the majority of cases will require you gaining practical experience on top of any academic, formal education you may have received.
It’s an uncomfortable truth that many cyber security qualifications, even Masters degrees from NCSC-certified universities, do not prepare students for a real-world job. Employers rarely rely on formal education to tell them a student is worth employing – so, while formal degrees have their place and you should be proud if you have one – it’s time to accept that a career in cyber security will not fall into your lap just because you have been to university.
Why is this? Because the world of Information Technology is changing all the time – think of how quickly cloud, AI and quantum computing have entered our world. A formal syllabus simply can’t keep up. Threats evolve at the same rate, if not even faster, than IT solutions – meaning that theoretical learning can only ever take a high-level view of what is happening. Once you understand that, you can begin to build a skill set that matches your chosen specialism, to add to what you learnt at university.
Technical cyber security – the ‘offensive’ (red) side of cyber which includes penetration testing, hacking, red teaming and threat hunting – will require practical skills which you will need to be able to demonstrate to a potential employer. If you have determined that you are more interested in a career in defensive cyber (the ‘blue’ side) you may wish to research areas such as ethics, law and governance and risk.
There will always be a crossover of skills regardless of which area you choose to specialise in – at the very minimum you should make sure you are able to demonstrate the skills shown below.
Fundamental Technical Skills
Programming
Analytical Skills
Troubleshooting
Adaptability
Communication Skills
Interested in a career in security testing?
The Cyber Scheme are industry leaders in training and assessing security testers, otherwise known as penetration testers or ethical hackers. If you are interested in a career in security testing, you will be expected to understand and demonstrate the following practical attributes – even at entry level.
- Experience with web development and web application frameworks
- Demonstrable network knowledge (TCP/IP, switching and routing)
- Knowledge of operating systems such as Windows, MacOS, and/or Linux
- Databases such as SQL, MySQL, Postgres, and NoSQL
- Knowledge of the setup and management of cloud providers
- Knowledge of security tools (e.g. Burp Suite)
- Understanding various cyber security and IT methodologies, technologies, and techniques
- Demonstrable gamified hacking (Hack the Box, Immersive Labs, TryHackMe, CTF etc)
- An awareness of up-to-date cyber security industry news and a genuine desire to work in this industry.
Learning Topics
If you are on a learning journey with the aim of becoming a technical cyber security consultant, the following are topics you will need to know.
- The Laws and Ethics Associated with Security Testing
- Building and Maintaining a Security Testing Device
- Fundamental Linux CLI for the Purpose of Security Testing
- Fundamental Linux Scripting for the Purposes of Security Testing
- Fundamental Python Coding
- Fundamental Windows Operating System Commands
- Computer Networking Fundamentals
- Packet capturing for Security Testing
- Web Application Fundamentals
- Vulnerability Analysis Fundamentals
- Testing Mobile Devices Fundamentals
- Testing in the Cloud Fundamentals.
FAQs
Penetration testers (otherwise known as pen testers and security testers) are the so-called “ethical hackers,” or the good guys. Penetration testers are hired by network system owners and web-based application providers to probe for vulnerabilities that hackers might be able to exploit to gather valuable data and intelligence, which can then be sold on or used to hold the company to ransom.
Testers simulate actual cyber attacks using a wide range of methods, in their attempt to discover vulnerabilities in security protocols for networks, systems, and web-based applications.
The goal is to find gaps in security systems before the real hackers can get in. As a result, pen testers often work on highly confidential and time-sensitive projects, hence the need for measures such as CHECK to be in place.
The NCSC is the UK’s ‘technical authority’ for cyber incidents. It is part of GCHQ, one of the UK’s security services, and was formed in 2016 to provide a unified national response to cyber threats.
The NCSC acts as a bridge between industry and government, providing a unified source of advice, guidance and support on cyber security, including the management of cyber security incidents. Find out more here.
CHECK is the term for the NCSC approved penetration test companies and the methodology used to conduct a penetration test. Companies providing CHECK services do so using staff who hold NCSC approved qualifications and have suitable experience. Penetration tests are conducted using NCSC recognised methods and the subsequent report and recommendations are produced to a recognised standard.
NCSC traditionally provided IT health check services to identify vulnerabilities in IT systems and networks which may compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information held on that IT system for HM Government and the wider public sector.
Due to growing demand, a partnership with industry was deemed necessary. The IT Health Check Service, or CHECK, was developed to enhance the availability and quality of the IT health check services that are provided to Government in line with HMG policy. Companies belonging to CHECK are measured against high standards set by the NCSC.
The NCSC and The Cyber Scheme work in collaboration to provide a set of examinations that are acceptable to industry and meet the requirements of private and public sectors. The NCSC now requires all existing and future CHECK Team Leaders and Members to have passed an approved professional examination designed to test for a basic grounding in the discipline.
NCSC will accept a pass from one of our examinations when approving CHECK Team Member and Team Leader status.
Security Clearances: SC and DV
There are a range of security clearance levels for different roles within the cyber security industry.
Among the most common high-level security clearances in the UK are Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV). These are both rigorous processes and will be vital for anyone seeking a career in areas such as central government or defence.
Understanding Security Check clearances
SC clearance is the most common form of security clearance in the UK. Being SC cleared is a requirement for any role that involves frequent access to documents classified as Secret, or occasional supervised access to Top Secret files in government or defence organisations.
To receive SC clearance, a candidate will need to have been a UK resident for at least five years and undergo the following:
Completion of BPSS
A full security questionnaire
Checks on criminal records, credit and financial history, and Security Service records
A review of work history, including personal files, staff reports, sick leave returns and security records.
SC checks usually take a minimum of six weeks to complete.
The requirements for Developed Vetting
DV is the highest government security clearance in the UK and is required for personnel who will require frequent and uncontrolled access to Top Secret material, either directly as part of their job or indirectly.
As the most thorough form of vetting, you’ll need to have been a UK resident for a minimum of ten years to apply for DV clearance and you can expect the process to take up to nine months to complete.
In addition to the same types of checks required for SC clearance, the vetting procedure for DV jobs includes a detailed interview with an Investigating Officer for both the candidate and their referees.
Those who hold a DV clearance will be required to renew it after a maximum of seven years.
CTM = CHECK Team Member, the term applied by NCSC
The CSTM exam you take with The Cyber Scheme = Cyber Scheme Team Member. The terms are essentially interchangeable, with CSTM being the brand name for our CTM-level exam.
CTL = CHECK Team Leader, the term applied by NCSC
The CSTL exam you take with The Cyber Scheme = Cyber Scheme Team Leader. The terms are essentially interchangeable, with CSTL being the brand name for our CTL-level exam.
We offer two CTL-level exams, CSTL-INF (Infrastructure) and CSTL-Web App (Web Applications). There are no requirements for a pass in one exam before taking another; if you have any questions about your readiness to take an exam please get in touch.
Passing an exam with The Cyber Scheme is one of the mandatory assurance checks undertaken by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) before CHECK Team Member or Leader Status can be awarded. The Cyber Scheme cannot award CHECK status, but do award Certificates recognised by NCSC as confirmation that the necessary technical standard for CHECK has been met.
Be the first to hear about our academy...
The Cyber Scheme are in advanced stages of launching an education hub to help junior testers gain a job in technical cyber security. We are working with our community to provide valuable resources covering technical skills, recruitment and mentoring. We will be launching free training and tutorials in our own Discord channel and aligning learning to the passing of certs that WILL get you a job.
Interested? Fill in the expression of interest form below to be first to know more.
Inclusion and Accessibility
The Cyber Scheme believe everyone should have access to a career in security testing. We are available to discuss any concerns you have and are more than happy to make reasonable adjustments for any candidate who requires them during examinations.
These reasonable adjustments are to ensure you are given an equal opportunity to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviours required. We recognise that not all disabilities are visible.
We have a range of reasonable adjustments we can offer depending on what difficulty you might face. If you request an adjustment which we are unable to offer, we will give you a reason why we cannot offer it. This might be because it maps to a key Knowledge, Skill or Behaviour that we have to assess against within the certification. If that is the case, we will tell you which aspect we think would not be properly assessed.
There may be background noise during an assessment. Please bring (or ask for) ear plugs / ear defenders or listen to music if background noise is likely to affect your concentration.
Mobility
Access to all of our facilities is suitable for people with mobility issues. Should any other special facilities be required please get in touch at time of booking. For some reasonable adjustments, such as access to a disabled parking space, we will need to see supporting documentation around the condition to allow us to apply for this access for you. No information will be retained or stored once the request is validated.