As I sat anxiously in my hospital bed awaiting results from puzzling neurological symptoms, my doctor told me something no one wants to hear: "Our computer systems are down, and we don't know when your test results will come in."
It turns out—an update to CrowdStrike® caused 8.5 million computer systems using Microsoft® Windows® operating systems to crash. This included the hospital where I was admitted.
As I worried over the test results for the next 48 hours, I witnessed firsthand how deeply we rely on our network systems (and the information security analysts who protect them). This incident is just one example of how network security is crucial to all our lives.
The computer recovery from the CrowdStrike incident was slow and painful. In many cases, technical staff had to manually update the company's hardware systems one at a time. Many hospitals around the country couldn’t access patient records during the outage, resulting in delayed medical diagnoses as well as surgeries. And it wasn’t just healthcare.
Passengers were stranded for days while airlines tried to restore their computer networks. An estimated 16,896 flights were cancelled. Reporters estimate losses of $860 million to the airline industry, 1.15 billion to the banking industry and $1.94 billion to the healthcare industry from this single incident.1
That particular global outage did not appear to have been caused by malicious activity. However, it points out how one inadvertent wrong move in managing computer networks can profoundly impact the world.
If you’re considering a career in technology, aiming for the role of a network security analyst is a great idea. Here’s why.
1. Security breaches are widespread
Data breaches and other security issues are increasingly commonplace in all industries.
But what is perhaps even more unnerving is the threat to our nation’s critical infrastructure. There were more than 2,800 attacks on the electric grid in 2022, with 3% leading to outages or other problems, according to the nonprofit international regulatory authority North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Energy regulators believe there are between 21,000-22,000 points in software or hardware that are vulnerable to security breaches.2
Threat intelligence shared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also found that the public water supply is increasingly subject to cyber-attacks that could affect both drinking water as well as wastewater treatment systems.
2. Small mistakes can cause large technological failures
Human error is another source of tech outages. This is why network security analysts and other IT professionals spend considerable time conducting training employees to proactively help prevent security breaches.
Inadvertent mistakes are all too common and can leave organizations vulnerable.
“Once while working on a networking department, I noticed unusual network activity and found an employee had reused a weak password that had been leaked in a previous intrusion,” recalls Scott Haynes, instructor with the School of Technology at Rasmussen University.
“The bad guys used it to access internal systems. After the first breach attempt, we implemented multi-factor authentication, enforced strong password policies and eliminated the threat before any major damage occurred. This incident reinforced the importance of proactive security measures and continuous monitoring.”
3. Network security analysts employ many different tactics
There's no kryptonite to protect organizations from either cyber attacks or errors.
This is why so many organizations hire professionals with cybersecurity skills to stay vigilant in combatting both malicious and careless activity. Network security analysts serve as the first line of defense in protecting an organization’s computer systems. These professionals take a strategic role in designing and enacting security measures that protect data and computer networks.
In this capacity, they need to stay attuned to the latest trends in hacking tactics, disaster recovery methods and security technologies. Then, they can keep the organization’s leadership informed about measures for ongoing protection, implement security programs and train employees.
The network security analyst role can include...
- Installing and managing antivirus software
- Enacting security measures such as installing firewalls
- Identifying potential threats
- Monitoring networks and network traffic
- Investigating and resolving security incidents
- Updating operating systems
- Managing virtual private networks
4. Information security analyst jobs are projected to increase
Information security analysts are in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33% growth in jobs between 2023-2033. That is much higher job growth than the average of other roles.3
Prospective network security analysts may find career opportunities at all sorts of businesses, particularly those that rely on computer networks for their critical operations. This includes financial institutions, healthcare organizations, high-tech firms, consulting businesses, government entities as well as agencies responsible for critical infrastructure such as electric grids and public water supplies.
For example, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hires professionals to serve as network security analysts and other cybersecurity positions to safeguard the nation's critical infrastructure.
The research firm Gartner, Inc. reports IT security spending to grow to $212 billion in 2025, which represents a 15% increase over the previous year.4 Faced with skills shortages, many enterprises are investing more in security professional services and managed security services. This is likely to drive up the demand for cybersecurity professionals at network security consulting firms.
5. Being a network security analyst is all about solving puzzles
Before pursuing a career as a network security analyst (or in a related cybersecurity career path), you’ll want an understanding of what the role really entails. It can be a great career for the right personality.
How do you feel about puzzles?
As a network security analyst, you get to...
- Engage intellectual skills to solve tough challenges
- Go to work knowing every day will be different and intellectually stimulating
- Make a real difference in preventing harm to people and assets
- Choose from a variety of industries to work in
- Have the potential to work in a field that is likely to have decent job security
On the other hand, these career opportunities also have challenges. Network security analysts need to...
- Be ever vigilant as technology and cyber situations constantly change
- See the dark side of people looking to cause harm to organizations and individuals
- Be patient to continually train (and often retrain) employees to ensure they’re not doing anything that could intentionally or unintentionally impact the company’s computer systems
6. Transferable skills flow well into other career options
“Standing out in the field involves a strong desire to dig into irregularities and understand attack patterns, recognizing social engineering tactics, and knowing your way around threat detection tools like Python® and PowerShell®,” says Haynes.
Professionals who are committed to continual learning in IT may work as a network security analyst or move into related cybersecurity career paths such as:
- Cryptographer
- Incident responder
- Network security engineer
- Penetration tester
- Security architect
- Security engineer
Please not that additional education, specific work experience, and/or specific certifications may be required to work as a Cryptographer, Incident Responder, Network Security Engineer, Penetration Tester, Security Architect or Security Engineer. It is important to check with employers regarding education, work experience, and certification requirements needed to work in these positions.
7. Network security offers room for advancement
“Starting as a network security analyst opens doors to roles such as an information security manager, information security analyst, or chief information security officer,” says Haynes. As you gain experience and keep learning, you can pursue some of these more advanced roles. Basically, this isn't a dead-end career. There are plenty of places it can take you.
Specialties in network security are already increasing across healthcare, governance, risk management, forensics and other fields. The emergence of new specialties also gives network security analysts the opportunity to deepen their educational and professional acumen and choose from a variety of cybersecurity positions. For more on that, check out Why Study Cyber Security? 8 Reasons to Remember.
What does it take to work in network security?
If all of those reasons to consider network sound good, here are some things you’ll need to excel.
Technical skills and soft skills
As the defender of an organization’s critical assets, network security analysts need to have a mix of both technical and soft skills.
- Analytical skills
- Communication skills
- Investigative skills
- Problem solving skills
- Project management skills
- Strong ethics
- An eye for innovative solutions
The work requires not only being able to understand and apply the strategic security goals of the organization but being extremely detail oriented.
Network security analysts and cybersecurity analysts are expected to well-versed in computer science and systems.
- Computer networks and virtual private networks
- Corporate databases
- Hardware architecture
- Network monitoring and threat intelligence tools
- Operating systems like Windows®, Linux® and VMWare®
- Programming languages
- Systems administration
Education and continual learning
Often employers want network security analysts to have an associate degree or bachelor’s degree in computer science/information science or a related field such as computer engineering or computer programming. For some roles, candidates need a master’s degree to advance in the field.
Rasmussen University does not offer any programs in Computer Engineering and does not offer any programs with a specialization in Computer Programming. As well, Rasmussen University does not offer any advanced degree programs within the School of Technology.
At Rasmussen, students enter the bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity to learn specialized information security and investigative skills. This program offers an immersive experience to learn technical skills, such as cryptography, Cisco®, VMware® and Microsoft Azure®.
Through classroom exercises and discussions, students also deepen their skills in ethics and professional responsibility, regulatory compliance and interpersonal skills.
Industry certifications are also important to show your commitment to ongoing education. Since technology and cyber threats are shifting at an accelerated rate, ongoing learning is important to thrive in a career as a network security analyst.
A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity will also help prepare students for popular certification exams, such as:
- Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP®)
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP®)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA®)
- CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+®)
Studying cyber security can be just the beginning
Network security analysts have an important role to play in so many different kinds of organizations.
And for the right person, the education is fascinating. If you’re interested, check out What to Expect from an Online Cyber Security Degree Program.
1 Fung, Brian. We finally know what caused the global tech outage - and how much it cost July 24, 2024. CNN.com, https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/24/tech/crowdstrike-outage-cost-cause/index.html
2 Industrial Cyber, NERC’s 2022 State of Reliability report flags serious challenges to cybersecurity threat landscape in 2021, July 21, 2022. https://industrialcyber.co/reports/nercs-2022-state-of-reliability-report-flags-serious-challenges-to-cybersecurity-threat-landscape-in-2021/
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm (visited February 19, 2025).
4 Gartner Forecasts Global Information Security Spending to Grow 15% in 2025, (Aug.28, 2024), Gartner Forecasts Global Information Security Spending to Grow 15% in 2025
CISA® is a registered trademark of INFORMATION SYSTEMS AUDIT AND CONTROL ASSOCIATION, INC.
Certified Information Systems Auditor® is a registered trademark of INFORMATION SYSTEMS AUDIT AND CONTROL ASSOCIATION, INC.
CCNP® is a registered trademark of Cisco Technology, Inc.
SSCP® is a registered trademark of International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc.
CrowdStrike® is a registered trademark of CrowdStrike Inc.
Cisco® is a registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc.
VMware® is a registered trademark of VMware Inc.
Microsoft Azure is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Python® is a registered trademark of the Python Software Foundation (PSF).
PowerShell® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
