Why Cybersecurity Skills Are Crucial for Entry-Level Tech Roles in 2025

Why Cybersecurity Skills Are Essential for Entry-Level Tech Roles in 2025

February 3, 2025
| Cybersecurity Technician

The number of cybersecurity professionals globally stood at 5.46 million this year (Borgeaud, 2024). This figure highlights that cybersecurity skills are no longer a niche hiring requirement but a necessity for organizations across different industries. With cybercriminals targeting an extensive network of organizations—big corporations, small businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and government agencies—every employer needs experts with cybersecurity skills who can safeguard their business and ensure cyber resilience.

This leads to a critical question—why is cybersecurity so important for every industry today? Let’s understand its importance across various sectors.

Importance of Cybersecurity Across Industries

Cybersecurity has become the biggest challenge for all industries in recent years.

According to a World Economic Forum report, cybercrime activities against healthcare are at an all-time high, with 14.2 percent of attacks targeting crucial infrastructure. From ransomware attacks to theft of confidential patient data, healthcare organizations face several challenges to ensure data security and operational continuity. The same report also mentioned how financial organizations are a major target for cyber-attacks, with 8.3 percent of attacks impacting critical infrastructure since January 2023 (Joshi, 2024).

Another report by Statista reported that over 100,000 cyber incidents impacted government agencies worldwide from June 2023 to August 2023 (Petrosyan, 2023). This doesn’t end here—industries including telecommunications, transport, and energy sectors, are also equally impacted by several cyber threats.

All the above numbers make one thing evident—cybersecurity is vital for all industries, irrespective of the size and type. This certainly makes the demand for individuals with cybersecurity skills higher with every passing year, not just in technology-driven sectors but across all industries.

High Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals

The Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 stated that the global average cost of a data breach increased by 10 percent in the last year, reaching $4.88 million, which is considered the biggest jump since the COVID-19 pandemic (IBM, 2024). This significant increase in losses from cybersecurity threats is one of the major reasons why organizations and industries are prioritizing candidates with the right set of cybersecurity skills—those who understand, optimize, and provide the strongest security protections. As a result, the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals continues to grow, particularly in the following roles:

  • Cybersecurity Analyst
  • Cybersecurity Technician
  • IT Networking Specialist
  • IT Support Specialist
  • Network Engineer
  • Network Security Architect
  • System Administrator
  • SOC Analyst
  • Cyber Threat Analyst

These roles offer rapid growth potential as professionals gain entry-level cybersecurity certifications and experience. However, the industry faces an immense cybersecurity skills gap, which highlights the need for initiatives to encourage reskilling and specialization.

Top Reasons Cybersecurity Skills Are Essential for All Professionals

The cybersecurity industry is experiencing the highest talent gap ever, with companies competing with one another to hire the right candidates for their organizations.

According to the World Economic Forum, 67 percent of organizations acknowledge facing a moderate to critical gap in cybersecurity skills (World Economic Forum). The number is so high that newly qualified professionals with a basic certification often receive multiple job offers with competitive salaries.

Experts say that cybersecurity professionals’ average salary is $120,360 a year in the USA (Bouchrika, 2025), placing it among the highest-paying computer science jobs today.

For individuals wanting to establish a career in cybersecurity, this is just the right time. Anyone starting now with an entry-level cybersecurity certification will secure the critical experience employers are looking for.

With artificial intelligence and quantum computing becoming popular, cyber threats will continue to evolve, and the demand will only grow in the future. However, the question here is—how can one build a career in cybersecurity? The next section addresses this question.

C|CT Certification: Your First Step Towards Cybersecurity Career

The significance of cybersecurity skills will undoubtedly grow in 2025 and beyond, and this ultimately means that everyone, especially entry-level professionals, must take a step ahead to learn and adapt to stay relevant.

For those new to the field, EC-Council’s Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) program provides a structured pathway to develop foundational cybersecurity skills. The program covers essential topics like network defense, ethical hacking, digital forensics, SOC, incident response, and more. It combines comprehensive theoretical knowledge with hands-on learning through 85 labs. It is designed to bridge the gap between academic understanding and workplace readiness, making it an excellent choice for those seeking to enter the field. By focusing on real-world scenarios and problem-solving techniques, C|CT prepares learners for entry-level roles such as IT security analyst or network support specialist, while also laying a solid foundation for future career growth in cybersecurity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, cybersecurity is likely to become even better in 2025 with AI, machine learning, and automation advancements. These technologies will not only enhance the detection of threats, quick response times, and the entire security infrastructure but also emphasize the need for comprehensive and updated cybersecurity skills among professionals.

Yes, the number of cybersecurity employees is increasing because of the high demand for such professionals. Businesses, governments, and organizations are now putting emphasis on security with more cases of cyber-attacks.

Cybersecurity is one of the most rewarding careers due to its high demand, job security, and competitive salaries. Professionals with cybersecurity skills are in demand in almost every industry to protect their sensitive data from cyber threats. In addition to this, a career in cybersecurity offers ample opportunities and a chance to work on the latest technologies in a rapidly evolving field.

Start by building strong foundational cybersecurity skills. Enroll in a beginner-friendly program like EC-Council’s Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) certification, which combines practical and theoretical knowledge to prepare you for real-world challenges.

Not necessarily. The Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) scholarship offers financial support to aspiring professionals, making it affordable to gain the cybersecurity skills needed to begin your career confidently.

With the growing demand for skilled professionals, starting with a comprehensive program like the C|CT certification ensures you gain essential cybersecurity skills to succeed in the field.

Reference

Borgeaud, A. (2024, November 06). Number of cybersecurity professionals worldwide 2024, by region. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1172449/worldwide-cybersecurity-workforce/

Bouchrika, I. (2025, January 03). Average Cyber Security Salary by State in 2025. Research.com. https://research.com/careers/average-cyber-security-salary-by-statehttps://research.com/careers/average-cyber-security-salary-by-state

IBM. (2024). Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024. https://www.ibm.com/downloads/documents/us-en/107a02e94948f4ec

Joshi, A. (2024, September 10). These sectors are top targets for cybercrime, and other cybersecurity news to know this month. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/04/cybercrime-target-sectors-cybersecurity-news/

Petrosyan, A. (2023, December 13). Number of cyberattacks targeting governments worldwide 2022-2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1428595/government-worldwide-targeted-cyber-incidents-number/

World Economic Forum. Bridging the cyber skills gap. https://initiatives.weforum.org/bridging-the-cyber-skills-gap/home

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