Which Cybersecurity Jobs Require Coding?

While some cybersecurity positions won’t require extensive coding and programming knowledge, there are still some highly technical positions that do require individuals to have a strong understanding of various coding languages and concepts.
Some of the most common cybersecurity job titles that require coding knowledge include:

Cybersecurity Engineer

A cybersecurity engineer identifies threats and vulnerabilities in an organization's systems and software to develop sophisticated lines of code that defend against hacking, malware and ransomware, insider threats, and other types of cybercrime.

Software Engineer/Programmer

Software engineers/programmers create new security technologies and make changes to existing applications and programs related to securing a company's digital systems and data. They work with many different coding languages and are often involved in the entire lifecycle of creating cybersecurity-related software.

Software Developer

Software developers create customized software for a specific need within an organization. More specifically, cybersecurity software developers write code and create software to protect an organization from malicious cyber threats.

Ethical Hacker or Penetration Tester

Ethical hackers, which are also known as penetration testers, perform risk assessments and test systems for security-related issues.

These tests are conducted against all possible security breaches, exploits, and vulnerability scenarios that protect organizations from attacks. This position doesn’t necessarily involve writing code, but it does require individuals to understand and read code to determine if a given program is a security threat.

Digital Forensic Analyst

A digital forensic analyst focuses on the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices and cybercrimes. Digital forensic analysts use various software and coding tools to help uncover evidence and therefore must have at least a basic understanding of various coding languages.

Cryptographer

A cryptographer writes encryption code used for data security. Computer-encrypted data uses exceptionally long and advanced encryption algorithms to prevent unauthorized access.

Cryptographers require excellent coding knowledge and experience to successfully write and maintain the complex encryption code used to protect critical data sets and systems.

Which Cybersecurity Jobs Don’t Require Coding?

Understanding how to code can be a great skill to have for cybersecurity professionals, however, it’s not a requirement to successfully break into the industry.

Many jobs within the cybersecurity field don’t require coding experience, yet are still extremely important in helping to protect an organization's systems and data.

Some of the most common jobs that are less likely to require coding within the cybersecurity industry include:

Information Security Analyst

Information security analysts are responsible for protecting sensitive information and critical systems within a company. They do this by monitoring threats and identifying vulnerabilities in the current system.

This position doesn’t typically require extensive coding knowledge, as information security analysts aren’t usually involved in actually developing the computer code that protects an organization.

Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst

A cyber threat intelligence analyst is responsible for analyzing incoming threats and performing extensive research on how to best protect an organization's data.

This position requires strong attention to detail along with the ability to solve problems creatively, though it doesn’t usually involve writing complex computer code used to create cybersecurity software.

Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst

An SOC analyst works on a team to monitor, analyze, and respond to security threats in real-time. The main goal of an SOC analyst is to prevent attacks on a network.

While having basic coding skills may help an SOC analyst identify threats more efficiently, it is not typically a requirement in this role, as an SOC analyst tends to rely on pre-built software and technology to help identify threats without having to read complex computer code on a daily basis.

Product Manager

A product manager doesn’t have to write computer code because they are managing a team of software developers, analysts, and programmers that are building the application, software, or system.

It is the product manager's job to ensure their teams meet tight deadlines and stay within budgetary constraints. Since they are not the ones doing the technical part of the job, they aren’t required to have extensive coding skills to do their job effectively.

Security Auditor

A security auditor carries out audits based on organizational policies and governmental regulations. They work closely with an organization's IT department to assess security controls and current practices.

This position requires extensive knowledge of laws and current best practices within the industry, however, it doesn’t require individuals to write complex code or create software programs from scratch. Rather, a security auditor will measure the compliance and effectiveness of these programs after they have been built.