Top Cybersecurity Roles and Recommended SANS Courses

As cybersecurity threats continue to escalate across industries, professionals are finding tremendous opportunity and impact in a wide array of roles. The SANS Institute, a global leader in cybersecurity training, offers specialized courses aligned to these roles. Here’s a comprehensive guide to 20 in-demand cybersecurity careers and the SANS training paths that best prepare individuals for success in each.

1. Security Analyst (Blue Team) Security Analysts defend against cyber threats, monitor systems, and respond to security events.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC401: Security Essentials – Network, Endpoint, and Cloud™

• SEC450: Blue Team Fundamentals: Security Operations and Analysis™

• SEC501: Advanced Security Essentials – Enterprise Defender™

• SEC503: Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth™

• SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling™

• SEC555: Detection Engineering and SIEM Analytics™

• FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics™

2. Penetration Tester (Red Team) Pen Testers identify vulnerabilities by simulating real-world attacks.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling™

• SEC542: Web App Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking™

• SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing™

• SEC575: iOS and Android Application Security Analysis and Penetration Testing™

• SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing™

• SEC660: Advanced Penetration Testing, Exploit Writing, and Ethical Hacking™

3. Threat Hunter Threat Hunters proactively search for hidden threats that evade traditional defenses.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics™

• SEC503: Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth™

• SEC555: Detection Engineering and SIEM Analytics™

• SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring™

4. Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) Specialist These specialists analyze digital evidence to respond to breaches and support legal investigations.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• FOR500: Windows Forensic Analysis™

• FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics™

• FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence™

• FOR585: Smartphone Forensics™

5. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Cybersecurity Professional Protects operational technology and critical infrastructure systems.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials™

• ICS456: Essentials for NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection™

• ICS515: ICS Visibility, Detection, and Response™

• ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth™

6. Cloud Security Engineer Designs and implements secure cloud architectures.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC488: Cloud Security Essentials™

• SEC510: Cloud Security Controls and Mitigations™

• SEC540: Cloud Native Security and DevSecOps Automation™

• SEC549: Cloud Security Architecture™

• SEC541: Cloud Security Threat Detection™

• SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing™

• FOR509: Enterprise Cloud Forensics and Incident Response™

7. Cybersecurity Manager / Director / CISO Leads organizational security strategy and governance.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers™

• LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership™

• LDR516: Building and Leading Vulnerability Management Programs™

• LDR551: Building and Leading Security Operations Centers™

8. Cybersecurity Engineer Builds and maintains defensive security tools, systems, and processes.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC501: Advanced Security Essentials – Enterprise Defender™

• SEC530: Defensible Security Architecture and Engineering™

• SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring™

• SEC566: Implementing and Auditing CIS Controls™

9. Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Analyst Collects and analyzes threat data to inform defenses.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence™

• SEC503: Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth™

• SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling™

• SEC555: Detection Engineering and SIEM Analytics™

10. Purple Teamer Combines offensive and defensive expertise to improve detection and response.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC599: Purple Team Tactics – Adversary Emulation for Breach Prevention™

• SEC503: Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth™

• FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics™

11. OSINT Investigator / Analyst Uses public data to gather actionable intelligence.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC497: Practical Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)™

• SEC587: Advanced Open-Source Intelligence Gathering and Analysis™

• FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence™

12. Technical Director (Information Systems Security Manager) Sets cybersecurity strategy and manages teams and resources.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers™

• LDR514: Security Strategic Planning, Policy, and Leadership™

• LDR516: Building and Leading Vulnerability Management Programs™

• LDR551: Building and Leading Security Operations Centers™

• SEC566: Implementing and Auditing CIS Controls™

• ICS418: ICS Security Essentials for Leaders™

13. Cloud Security Analyst Monitors and enhances cloud security posture.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC488: Cloud Security Essentials™

• SEC510: Cloud Security Controls and Mitigations™

• SEC541: Cloud Security Threat Detection™

• SEC401: Security Essentials – Network, Endpoint, and Cloud™

• SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing™

• FOR509: Enterprise Cloud Forensics and Incident Response™

14. Intrusion Detection / SOC Analyst Monitors networks for suspicious activity and responds to threats.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC450: Blue Team Fundamentals: Security Operations and Analysis™

• SEC503: Network Monitoring and Threat Detection In-Depth™

• SEC511: Cybersecurity Engineering: Advanced Threat Detection and Monitoring™

• SEC555: Detection Engineering and SIEM Analytics™

• FOR508: Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics™

• FOR572: Advanced Network Forensics™

• SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling™

15. Security Awareness Officer Drives behavior change and builds a security-conscious culture.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• LDR433: Managing Human Risk™

• LDR521: Security Culture for Leaders™

• LDR512: Security Leadership Essentials for Managers™

16. Vulnerability Researcher & Exploit Developer Discovers and tests vulnerabilities in hardware and software.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC660: Advanced Penetration Testing, Exploit Writing, and Ethical Hacking™

• SEC670: Red Teaming Tools – Developing Windows Implants, Shellcode, Command and Control™

• SEC760: Advanced Exploit Development for Penetration Testers™

17. Application Pen Tester Evaluates the security of applications through testing.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC542: Web App Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking™

• SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing™

• SEC575: iOS and Android App Security Analysis and Pen Testing™

• SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing™

• SEC660: Advanced Penetration Testing™

• SEC760: Advanced Exploit Development™

18. ICS/OT Security Assessment Consultant Secures industrial and operational environments through offensive testing.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC560: Enterprise Penetration Testing™

• ICS410: ICS/SCADA Security Essentials™

• ICS456: NERC CIP Essentials™

• ICS515: ICS Detection and Response™

• ICS612: ICS Cybersecurity In-Depth™

19. DevSecOps Engineer Integrates security into CI/CD pipelines and automates secure development.

Recommended SANS Courses:

• SEC488: Cloud Security Essentials™

• SEC510: Cloud Security Controls and Mitigations™

• SEC522: Securing Web Apps, APIs, and Microservices™

• SEC540: Cloud Native Security and DevSecOps Automation™

20. Media Exploitation Analyst (Description and courses incomplete in provided content)

Each of these cybersecurity roles plays a vital part in today’s complex threat landscape. Whether you’re looking to enter the field or advance within it, SANS courses provide a rigorous and respected pathway to practitioner-level expertise.

ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL READY TO BREAK INTO OR ADVANCE IN TECH?

Get professional career coaching by scheduling a Career Empowerment Consultation. Take your career to the next level with the skills, insights, and mentorship you need to thrive in emerging tech fields.

• Transition into high-earning roles
• Secure a 20%+ salary increase in just 6 months
• Achieve guaranteed career advancement

 Join the Black Heights community that is built for your success so you can unlock your full potential

Download Our Free eBook Now: Find Your Ideal Job: A Simple 6-Step Guide