There’s a surge of cyberattacks, and it seems to be getting worse by the day.
The cybersecurity industry needs more professionals to win the battle against cybercriminals.
Do you have a passion for cybersecurity?
you might turn that passion into a career by becoming a red teamer.
In doing so, you get the opportunity to beat hackers by using their own techniques against them.
Who Is a Red Teamer?
They launch their attacks without prior notice to their team or the people they work with.
Real attackers dont give their victims a heads-up about their plans; they show up unannounced.
If youwant to get a job in cybersecurity, this is a good role to consider.
What Does a Red Teamer Do?
The term red team originated from the military.
This group has permission to use all kinds of techniques to make their attacks successful.
Determined to succeed, the red team temporarily disassociates themselves from their colleagues and commits to the attack.
The time they spend planning their attack is usually longer than the execution time.
And thats because they need to gather all the intel and classified information they need for the task.
They use the information to handle the vulnerabilities and implement measures to resist such attacks if they occur again.
The main goal of a red teamer is to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in their target system.
Planning is key to the red teamers mission.
The more vulnerabilities the red teamer exploits, the better for the owners.
Its an indication that the real attackers would have fewer vulnerabilities to escalate.
What Are a Red Teamer’s Primary Responsibilities?
Theres the notion that a red teamer is the same as a penetration tester.
A penetration tester works with the administrator to schedule the testing while the red team takes them unawares.
The primary responsibilities of a red teamer include the following.
How Do You Become a Red Teamer?
If victims of cyberattacks got information about attacks beforehand, they would implement stronger defenses to push back.
A red teamer provides that information, and that makes them a valuable asset in an organization.
But to qualify for the job, you gotta possess the following soft and hard skills.
A Red Teamers Soft Skills
Soft skills refer to ways of thinking and speaking.
They include:
Critical Thinking
A red teamer looks for systems vulnerabilities even when fully secured.
You must be able to think up possible threats within a system with little or no information at hand.
And where there are no vulnerabilities, you create some yourself.
Innovation
The hacking game isnt clear-cut.
A well-thought-out plan can experience hitches along the way.
The hackers ability to navigate the hurdle makes a difference.
A red teamer must take the initiative to explore various options even in the most difficult situations.
Hard Skills of a Red Teamer
Hard skills refer to types of knowledge.
This is information you’re free to study, memorize, and deploy.
Networking
Networking is the exchange of data between two or multiple devices within a computer system.
This exchange facilitates effective communications for the system to perform specific commands.
A red teamer uses various hardware and software applications, so you must understand how they operate and connect.
Programming
Communication between computers isnt done with basic language but with advanced programming language in cybersecurity.
Hackers are highly skilled in programming to write complex commands and decode hidden messages.
What Are the Certifications and Qualifications of a Red Teamer?
A computer science-related degree is a prerequisite for becoming a red teamer at the entry level.
Consider getting some of these certifications.
What Is the Salary of a Red Teamer?
According toZipRecruiter, a red teamer in the US earns an average annual salary of $63,717.
The breakdown is $1,225 per week and $5,309 per month.
As a red teamer, you’ll impact society positively by making cyberspace safer.
Individuals and organizations will be able to at night knowing that their data is secured.
