Information Assurance Analysts

Required levels of experience for information assurance analysts vary by position and employer. Some employers may require just a bachelor’s degree and one year of experience (internships, co-ops, summer jobs, etc.). Others may require a bachelor’s degree plus three years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree plus one year of relevant experience, or a doctoral degree and no experience.

To be a successful information assurance analyst, you’ll need excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to interact with end users at all levels; the ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as a member of a team; strong problem-solving, organizational, time-management, critical-thinking, and analytical skills; knowledge of risk management principles; and the ability to use vulnerability scanning tools such as Tenable Nessus, desktop software such as Microsoft Office, and other types of software.

Information assurance analysts must have strong technical skills in a variety of areas, including network protocols, encryption, virtual private networks, firewalls, proxy services, cloud-based systems, operating systems, servers, routers, wireless technology, database design and administration, vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, computer forensics, and systems engineering.