An unfortunate by-product of technological innovation is the rapid increase in cybercrime. As more existing applications and services move to the cloud, there's a greater chance of being hacked. Fortunately, there are professionals in the industry whose job is to develop different ways of protecting personal information. If you have an analytical mind, a penchant for problem-solving, and want to do your part to keep the world safe, then a career as an application security analyst may be for you.
What is an application security analyst?
An application security analyst provides security assessments of applications and other software and determines how to make information more secure.
Other job duties may include:
- Develop security strategies and guidance documentation that drive the strategy
- Continuously improve the processes and procedures to include report exceptions/risk acceptance for further review
- Lead vulnerability assessments and monitoring services across several applications
- Resolve technical issues escalated from the security operations center (SOC) analyst
- Contribute to the development of security policies and security standards
An application security analyst typically comes from an application developer background, with security elements mixed in. This position is important because application security analysts perform proactive cybersecurity tasks to help prevent cyberattacks.
If they do their job well, their work goes somewhat unnoticed—everything runs smoothly with no security breaches. Part of an application security analyst's job is to look for holes in code or other data where cybercriminals could potentially gain access and then make sure those holes are corrected and reinforced.
How to become an application security analyst
Most companies hiring an application security analyst seek someone with a bachelor's or associate's degree in a relevant field. Experience is key for this job, with most companies looking for at least five years of experience.
Certifications like CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, and CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) can prove to employers that you have the skills to be an application security analyst. Check out the CompTIA Career Roadmap to see what other certifications can help you become an application security analyst.
The details
Application security analyst salary range
The median annual salary for this position in 2019 was $99,730. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS))
Application security analyst job outlook
CompTIA projects a 32% increase in the number of information security analysts from 2018 to 2028, with 112,300 net new jobs expected during those 10 years.
Job titles related to application security analyst
- Threat intelligence analyst
- Vulnerability analyst
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Security operations center (SOC) analyst
- Cybersecurity engineer
Will your next move be an application security analyst? If so, download the exam objectives for CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) to acquire the skills needed to get there.