A Computer Security Analyst is an individual who performs the task of detecting and investigating the security measures of a particular system. An analyst is a computer programmer, analyst, or consultant who works in computer security and intrusion detection.
Duties of a Computer Security Analyst
Checking Security Issues
A Computer Security Analyst is responsible for analyzing the security issues in various computer networks, applications, and networks. He may also be responsible for the protection and monitoring of systems. The analyst has to determine and create the methods to detect, analyze, prevent, or counter a computer intrusion into a computer network.
Do System Scans
The computer security analyst’s most common way to detect and diagnose a computer attack is a system scan. This system scan will help the analyst determine the system’s threats and vulnerabilities and create a mitigation strategy against the risks.
Prevent Unauthorized Access
The analyst protects the computer systems and its users from unauthorized access, use, modification, or data destruction. A Computer Security Analyst has to identify threats and vulnerabilities and develop a security program to protect the users of computer systems from such risks.
Do Assessments
Computer Security Analysts includes analyzing the security programs, software, and hardware employed in computer systems to assess the security risk of the system and generate and document the assessment results. To make the assessment, the Computer Security Analysts have to look at various aspects like the architecture of the computer system, application programs, security software installed in the computer systems, network, and computer configuration management system.
Scanning of Computer Systems
To find out the computer system’s threats, the Computer Security Analysts may conduct a scan on the computer systems by manually searching for any of the security risks present. They may also use scanning software to perform the scanning job on their behalf. Another technique that can be used to scan a system is to use a network scanner. The Network Scanners are used to check the network and gather information about the networks. It will also help to collect information about the security programs present on the systems.
Maintenance of Computer Networks.
The Computer Security Analyst also performs the maintenance of computer networks. The maintenance involves the following tasks: updating the configuration of a system or maintaining a server. Other things include updating the security database, updating the software, cleaning and testing the systems, setting up security policies, and maintaining firewalls, scanning and checking passwords. The security of computer systems is strengthened through regular maintenance.
Necessary Skills and Qualifications
The security systems analyst is usually required to have some specialized skills. Some of the associated skills are computer forensics, malware analysis, networking, network analysis and networking, and security management, computer security management, and administration, virus detection and removal, etc.