In Guatemala, specialized professionals are needed in cybersecurity; However, due to a worldwide gap, the country is looking for people trained in security engineering, analysts and Ethical hackers.
Pablo Barrera, professor at Francisco Marroquín University in Systems Engineering, explains that the cybersecurity issue is transversal in companies: “What does this mean? Where do you have technology, you will need cybersecurity. Be databases, web applications, mobile applications, even the electricity sector.”
According to Barrera, any automated industry, such as production plants in the food or industrial sector, needs cybersecurity. However, there is not enough professionals to meet this high demand.
Currently, according to Amílcar de León, an expert in cybersecurity of the company Devel Security, there are more than 30 different profiles referring to cybersecurity necessary to protect the world from cyber attacks. However, according to De León, these 30 profiles are not available in the country: “It is impossible,” the expert emphasizes.
The expert listed the five most needy positions currently, which are: security engineers, information security officers, SOC analysts (Security Operation Center), Ethical hackersspecialists in response of incidents, security auditors and risk management consultants.
Due to the lack of professionals in the cybersecurity area, Barrera argued that technology companies cannot correctly solve the risks to which they are exposed daily. “We are like a mixture between police and doctors,” said Barrera. Currently, around the world there is a lack of four million professionals in the field, according to De León.
Cybersecurity works in Guatemala
External Leon that, in Guatemala, these five profiles are currently necessary:
- Security Engineers: This is a technical profile, capable of operating security technologies such as Firewallsantivirus, among other protection tools.
- Information Security Officers: This profile, De León explained, is aimed at the strategy. They are responsible for creating and ensuring security policies within organizations.
- SOC analysts: This item is known as Security Operation Centertranslated into Spanish as a security operations center. These professionals are responsible for using all the technologies that record attacks within the network and interpret this information to notify alerts that are received by technologies.
- Ethical hackers: They are responsible for finding security failures in different technological areas or in companies. These reports serve to prevent cybercriminal can take advantage of such failures for criminal purposes.
- Management and architecture positions: They are responsible for the regulation and fulfillment of the other cybersecurity positions.
On the other hand, Germán López, a member of Banrt, points out that there are other profiles necessary for the development of cybersecurity in the country:
- Specialists in response to incidents: They are responsible for acting quickly to attacks or gaps, containing and remedying damage.
- Security and compliance auditors: They evaluate whether the systems comply with local and international standards and regulations.
- Risk Management Consultants: They help organizations identify, evaluate and mitigate cyber risks.
According to Barrera, security officers and security technicians are also necessary. Barrera said that the information security officer has a more strategic approach, since it must understand the security and information needs, while the technician has a more operational role.
How much can professionals win in cybersecurity?
Professionals in the cybersecurity area in Guatemala can have income that range between Q6 thousand and q25 thousandaccording to Amílcar de León, who explained that these amounts depend on the academic degree, technical certificationsand work experience.
The expert said there are three levels of specialization:
De León also indicated that Management and architecture positions They can overcome the Q25 thousand per month. “Obviously we are talking about people with an interesting academic degree, usually over 40, with 10 years of experience in the security sector and another 10 in the technological area,” he said.
For his part, Germán López, a member of Banrt, presented a more detailed salary scale:
- A Junior professionalwith up to two years of experience, you can win up Q12 thousand.
- A profile intermediatewith five years of experience, you can reach a salary of Q20 thousand.
- A Senior Professional can get to accrue until Q35 thousand per month.
As for management levels, salaries can reach Q50 thousandaccording to López. “These values reflect the growing recognition of the strategic value of cybersecurity in the country,” he concluded.
Where to study cybersecurity in Guatemala?
Amílcar de León explained that many of the professions in cybersecurity do not usually be studied as complete university careers, but correspond to a branch of specialization that requires TECHNICAL CERTIFICATIONS AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING. However, he pointed out that the common academic base is the Systems Engineeringon which professionals can Specialize in cybersecurity Through courses or postgraduate studies, options that already exist in the country.
According to De León, the Mariano Gálvez University offers one Master in Computer Securitywhile the Galileo University He teaches one Master in cybersecurity. In addition, he highlighted the existence of specialized courses and private educational programs.
For his part, Pablo Barrera stressed that, in addition to having a university career, it is necessary be technified in specific cybersecurity solutionsso it is also key that companies are part of the training of your staff. He also stressed that the Intecap provides training in this field, especially oriented to Security Officers.
Barrera added that, in addition to systems engineering, other races such as Telecommunications, Electronics and Systems administration They can be starting points to develop professionally in the field of cybersecurity.