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How to Become a Cyber Security Auditor

By DeVry University

August 7, 2023

8 min read

If you’re considering a career in the cyber security industry, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different roles and responsibilities of professionals in this field. Cyber security professionals keep the information networks and data systems our economy relies on safe from attacks that can result in the loss or exposure of sensitive personal or financial data. Cyber security auditors play a particularly important role in this IT security ecosystem, by making sure security is tight and looking for areas where defenses can be bolstered.

 

In this article, we will take a close look at what’s required to prepare to pursue a career as a cyber security auditor. We will list some of the skills needed for the role and the responsibilities that come along with the job. Finally, we’ll take a look at the projected job growth and opportunities in this important occupation.   

Steps to Pursuing Cyber Security Auditor Career

In preparing to pursue a career as a cyber security auditor, your first priority should be education, followed by certifications and work experience.

Education

Begin your journey on this career path with a solid education in information technology and cyber security to gain an understanding of how information systems work and the vulnerabilities that leave them susceptible to cyberattacks.

At DeVry, we offer several cyber security-related degree and certificate programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, including our online Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security and Networking. Exploring topics like small enterprise networks, digital devices, operating systems and OS architecture and design, network security testing, ethical hacking and more, this tech-infused bachelor’s degree program is designed to help you gain the skills required to defend networks, applications and systems against ever-increasing cybercriminal threats.

Earned as part of our Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology and Networking, this program can be completed 100% online, allowing you to learn when and where you like while balancing commitments to work, family and other elements of your busy life. This bachelor’s degree specialization can be earned in as little as 2 years and 8 months on an accelerated schedule, or 4 years on a normal one.*

*Accelerated schedule is per 12 month period, does not include breaks and assumes year-round, full-time enrollment. Normal schedule is per 12 month period, does not include breaks and assumes 2 semesters of full-time enrollment.

Learn more about the other cyber security programs we offer to see if one of them makes a good fit for you.

Certifications

Another important consideration as you work toward how to become a cyber security auditor is the importance of industry-recognized certifications that validate the skills you’ve learned, demonstrate your abilities as a job-ready candidate and may help you stand out on your pathway toward career advancement.

A few of the certifications relevant to cyber security auditing include:

  • CompTIA Security+:  This basic cyber security certification establishes core knowledge required in the industry and can help IT security professionals advance from entry-level positions to intermediate-level cyber security roles. Candidates with this certification demonstrate their ability to assess the IT security of an organization and recommend and implement the appropriate solutions, monitor and secure hybrid environments, including cloud, mobile and IoT (Internet-of-Things) and identify, analyze and respond to security events. 

  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): This credential from the Information System Audit and Control Association (ISACA) is regarded as a must-have certification for mid to advanced-career IT professionals and for those who audit, control, monitor and assess information technology systems. Domains covered include protection of information assets, the process of auditing information systems, governance and management of IT and information systems operations.

  • Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC): Also from ISACA, this certification for IT professionals focused on IT and cyber risk control indicates experience in identifying and managing enterprise IT risk and implementing and maintaining information system controls.

Work experience

The cyber security auditor’s role is not considered an entry-level position, but rather one that you pursue over time. To help get yourself started toward this career path, it can be helpful to gain relevant work experience by securing other related positions first. Work experience as a cyber security analyst, network administrator or information security specialist may help establish your knowledge and sharpen your skills in recognizing common security weaknesses, identifying potential risks and developing effective strategic measures to protect against them. You may even be able to gain entry-level employment or an internship while you’re still working toward your undergraduate degree. 

Important Cyber Security Skills to Develop

Cyber security IT auditors need to acquire and develop nearly the same technical and non-technical cyber security skills as others in their field. Continuing education is crucial, particularly in sharpening technical skills, to stay up to date as new technologies and practices emerge and the threat environment evolves.

Technical skills

A partial list of the technical skills required for this career includes:

  • Risk identification and management: Cyber security specialists are required to identify and manage vulnerabilities that can put their computer systems at risk for cyberattacks. This is done through regular monitoring and analysis.

  • Programming: Familiarity with programming and scripting languages like JavaScript helps information security professionals write internal systems and understand how hackers might use them to access data. 

  • Attack surface management: This skill concentrates on the analysis of an organization’s vulnerabilities from the perspective of the cybercriminal, allowing the cyber security professional to identify and repair any weaknesses before an outside attacker can exploit them.

  • Application security and protection: With organizations increasingly relying on the use of external applications, it’s crucial for cyber security personnel to understand application security and protection. 

Non-technical skills

Workplace skills that help cyber security auditors and other IT professionals function at an optimal level include:

  • Reasoning and troubleshooting: It’s important for cyber security professionals to develop their problem-solving skills and use them in tandem with their technical know-how to detect and remedy problems. This skill can also help them develop long-term solutions to issues in their organization’s operations.

  • Adaptability: This important trait allows cyber security professionals to keep up with technologies that are always changing and new threats that frequently arise. Adaptability allows them to learn new technologies and adjust processes swiftly.

  • Communication: Effective communication skills are essential for cyber security specialists and enable them to connect with a cross-section of organizational stakeholders. When performing their tasks or reporting the results of audits or assessments, they must have the ability to explain technical subjects to people with non-technical backgrounds.

Cyber Security Auditor Responsibilities

Cyber security auditors protect businesses, government agencies and other organizations from cyberattacks. To achieve that, here’s some of what they do day to day:

  • Conduct testing of database security practices to ensure they comply with the latest standards.

  • Provide an audit of security systems and their components, including firewalls, looking for weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

  • Compile detailed reports of the information system’s condition, which may include concerns and vulnerabilities that have been identified.

  • Present reports to the organization’s management team with recommendations for procedural changes or upgrades to improve the system’s integrity.

  • Provide cost-benefit analyses of the recommended changes or upgrades.  

Cyber Security Auditor Jobs and Outlook

Several indicators point to significant job growth in the cyber security field over the next decade. According to the World Economic Forum, to adequately defend organizations’ critical assets, the global cyber security workforce needs to grow by 65%. They believe that in closing this workforce gap, there has never been a better time to create a new, more diverse cyber security talent pool that includes under-represented minorities, veterans and women. This sentiment was shared by a panel of 6 tech leaders in our CEO Roundtable, Innovative Solutions to the Cyber Talent Gap, hosted by DeVry CEO Tom Monahan, that discussed how DEI commitments can be used to enrich measures to close cyber talent gaps.

DeVry’s commitment to creating a more diverse cyber workforce is shown in our Women+Tech Scholarship, which provides up to $1,500 per semester in awards for female students enrolled in a qualifying Engineering and Information Sciences undergraduate program1, and our NextGen Hispanic Scholars Program. In this scholars program, Hispanic and Latinx students who are enrolled in a qualifying Engineering & Information Sciences certificate or degree program2 or are pursuing a master’s degree program will automatically be enrolled in a COMPTIA Basic Student membership, receive reimbursement for select professional certifications3, and have the opportunity to connect with mentors and peers as they prepare to enter the workforce.4

Occupational outlook data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) appears to confirm industry leaders’ forecasts. The BLS projects employment of information security analysts (a category that includes computer systems analysts and network support specialists, penetration testers, vulnerability assessors and other cyber security-related roles) to grow 35% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 19,500 job openings projected each year, on average, over the decade.5 This growth is projected on a national level and local growth will vary by location. This projection is not specific to DeVry graduates and may include earners at all stages of their careers.

In making their projections, the BLS points to the need for solutions to defend against the growing frequency of cyberattacks, the shift to remote work and the rise of e-commerce. They also cite the strong growth in digital health services and telehealth, which will increase security risks for healthcare providers.

Preparing to Pursue a Career in Cyber Security?

Whether you’re considering a career as a cyber security auditor or looking pursue another role in protecting data systems from cyberattacks, our Bachelor's Degree in Cyber Security and Networking can help you gain hands-on experience and prepare you to make an impact in this growing field.

1Qualifying degree and certificate programs include: associate degree programs in Engineering Technology, Information Technology and Networking or Network Systems Administration; bachelor’s degree programs in Computer Information Systems, Engineering Technology, Information Technology and Networking, Network and Communications Management or Software Development; and certificate programs in Cyber Security, Data Mining and Analytics, Software Design and Solutions, Web Mobile Application Development, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Information Technology Essentials, Networking Essentials or Programming Essentials.

2Qualifying degree and certificate programs include DeVry’s  Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems, Bachelor’s in Engineering Technology, Bachelor’s in Information Technology & Networking, Bachelor’s in Network & Communications Management, Bachelor’s in Software Development, Associate in Engineering Technology, Associate in Information Technology & Networking, Associate in Network Systems Administration, Cyber Security Certificate, Cloud Computing Certificate, Data Mining & Analytics, Internet of Things Certificate, Software Design & Solutions Certificate, Web & Mobile Application Development Certificate, Information Technology Essentials Certificate, Networking Essentials Certificate and our Programming Essentials Certificate.

3Excludes any certifications DeVry already provides financial assistance for via current programs.

4Students may participate in one DeVry-based scholars program only. Those who qualify for more than one program will be presumed to accept the program that is most beneficial for them. Students who qualify for multiple programs must confirm, in writing, the scholars program in which they wish to participate prior to starting classes at DeVry University.

5https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm

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In New York, DeVry University operates as DeVry College of New York. DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), www.hlcommission.org. The University’s Keller Graduate School of Management is included in this accreditation. DeVry is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Arlington Campus: 1400 Crystal Dr., Ste. 120, Arlington, VA 22202. DeVry University is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, www.tn.gov/thec. Lisle Campus: 4225 Naperville Rd, Suite 400, Lisle, IL 60532. Unresolved complaints may be reported to the Illinois Board of Higher Education through the online complaint system https://complaints.ibhe.org/. View DeVry University’s complaint process   https://www.devry.edu/compliance/student-complaint-procedure.html Program availability varies by location. In site-based programs, students will be required to take a substantial amount of coursework online to complete their program.


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