Cyber Security vs Software Engineer: What’s the Difference?

Cyber security engineers are the people who help organisations protect their information technology (IT) security systems from potential hackers and cyber-attacks. And they go by many names. Sometimes they're called information security engineer, information systems security engineer, information assurance engineer, security analyst, or security engineer.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, security analyst roles usually focus on identifying cybersecurity weaknesses, while security engineers focus on proactively building defensive systems like firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

In any case, cyber security engineers safeguard sensitive business data from criminals looking for ways to infiltrate private databases. Cyber security engineers find and deter intrusions. They also solve technical problems with IT equipment and software. Companies expect security engineers to collaborate with other IT professionals to solve security problems.

Duties could include installing firewalls, implementing intrusion detection systems, conducting tests, security assessments, and risk analyses, evaluating new security measures, and making IT security recommendations.

You'll be expected to understand firewalls, virtual private networks (VPN), data loss prevention, IDS/IPS, and security audits. When you look at job openings you may see employers looking for:

• Computer Science, IT, or Systems Engineering degree or related experience
• experience with incident detection, incident response and forensics
• knowledge of firewalls functionality and maintenance, Office 365 Security, VSX and Endpoint Security
• adept with Python, C++, Java, Ruby, Node, Go and/or Power Shell
• awareness of cybersecurity trends and hacking techniques

So, how do you land a job as a software engineer? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Bolster your technical skills

The best way to learn is by doing. Do whatever you can to get experience be it engineering internships, earning an engineering degree, or going to a coding bootcamp. Another way is to get all the knowledge you can from code reviews and tutorial websites

Market yourself

Create a portfolio to showcase all your projects. This will help demonstrate that you have some basic knowledge and initiative. You should also put together a resume detailing your education and experience. These are the basic marketing materials you will need to sell yourself to potential employers.

Build your network

If you want to get a great engineering job, attend every career fair and engagement event possible. Reach out to people who work at your dream companies and ask for informational interviews. Consider joining a professional network and participate in their conferences.

Prepare for your interview

Read everything you can about the company. Try to find out where the business is headed and how you can add value as an engineer. You could book some mock interviews to get practice. It may also be a good idea to get your resume critiqued by a professional recruiter. Don’t forget to take the extra set up steps when preparing for a video interview.

Use all the resources available to you

To increase your chances of success be sure to take advantage of all your opportunities. For example, Modis makes it easy to search IT and engineering jobs on our website. 

As you prepare to navigate the job search and interview process, keep in mind that you don't have to do it on your own. Engineering is an exciting field that allows you to get paid well to solve interesting problems every day. No matter whether you decide to pursue a career as a cyber security engineer or a software engineer -- both are flourishing and companies are constantly looking for talented engineers.