Embedded systems security engineer to ethical hacker
An embedded systems security engineer already meets 31% of what the ethical hacker role asks for. The move turns on 23 required skills not yet in the profile.
78.4/ 100
1 How much of what an ethical hacker is expected to do is already part of an embedded systems security engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the ethical hacker role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An ethical hacker role treats 13 of its required skills as things an embedded systems security engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- ICT network security risks
- ICT security standards
- computer programming
- cyber attack counter-measures
- ethical hacking principles
- execute software tests
What stands in the way is 23 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 20 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An ethical hacker role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an embedded systems security engineer background worth leading with.
- already held define security policies management skills
- already held ethical hacking principles information and communication technologies (icts)
- already held ICT safety working with computers
- already held perform ICT security testing working with computers
- already held identify ICT system weaknesses working with computers
- already held cyber attack counter-measures services
All 20 carried skills, including the 13 the ethical hacker role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 54 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn ICT system integration required
- still to learn attack vectors required
- still to learn computer forensics required
- still to learn operating systems required
- still to learn penetration testing tool required
- still to learn tools for ICT test automation required
- still to learn web application security threats required
- optional, not held Aircrack (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Backbox (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held BlackArch optional
- optional, not held Cain and Abel (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held John The Ripper (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Kali Linux optional
- optional, not held Maltego optional
- optional, not held Metasploit optional
- optional, not held Nessus optional
- optional, not held Nexpose optional
- optional, not held OWASP ZAP optional
- optional, not held Open source model optional
- optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
- optional, not held Parrot Security OS optional
- optional, not held Samurai Web Testing Framework optional
- optional, not held WhiteHat Sentinel optional
- optional, not held Wireshark optional
- optional, not held hybrid model optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held internet governance optional
- optional, not held levels of software testing optional
- optional, not held proxy servers optional
- optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
- still to learn conduct ICT code review required
- still to learn develop code exploits required
- still to learn manage system security required
- still to learn use scripting programming required
- optional, not held implement ICT security policies optional
- optional, not held implement a firewall optional
- optional, not held maintain ICT server optional
- optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional
- optional, not held solve ICT system problems optional
- still to learn execute ICT audits required
- still to learn execute social engineering tests required
- still to learn implement ICT risk management required
- still to learn analyse the context of an organisation required
- optional, not held manage cloud data and storage optional
- still to learn address problems critically required
- still to learn communicate with stakeholders required
- still to learn engage with stakeholders required
- optional, not held set up cybersecurity training programmes optional
- still to learn ICT infrastructure required
- still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
- still to learn legal requirements of ICT products required
- optional, not held ICT security legislation optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an ethical hacker role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 20 skills that carry over
- already held ICT network security risks knowledge
- already held ICT security standards knowledge
- already held computer programming knowledge
- already held cyber attack counter-measures knowledge
- already held ethical hacking principles knowledge
- already held execute software tests skill
- already held identify ICT security risks skill
- already held identify ICT system weaknesses skill
- already held information security strategy knowledge
- already held monitor system performance skill
- already held perform ICT security testing skill
- already held security engineering knowledge
- already held software anomalies knowledge
- already held ICT encryption knowledge
- already held ICT safety skill
- already held Internet of Things knowledge
- already held define security policies skill
- already held manage IT security compliances skill
- already held organisational resilience knowledge
- already held perform project management skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn ethics required
- still to learn cyber security required
31 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held Aircrack (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Backbox (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held BlackArch optional
- optional, not held Cain and Abel (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held ICT security legislation optional
- optional, not held John The Ripper (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Kali Linux optional
- optional, not held Maltego optional
- optional, not held Metasploit optional
- optional, not held Nessus optional
- optional, not held Nexpose optional
- optional, not held OWASP ZAP optional
- optional, not held Open source model optional
- optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
- optional, not held Parrot Security OS optional
- optional, not held Samurai Web Testing Framework optional
- optional, not held WhiteHat Sentinel optional
- optional, not held Wireshark optional
- optional, not held hybrid model optional
- optional, not held implement ICT security policies optional
- optional, not held implement a firewall optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held internet governance optional
- optional, not held levels of software testing optional
- optional, not held maintain ICT server optional
- optional, not held manage cloud data and storage optional
- optional, not held proxy servers optional
- optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
- optional, not held set up cybersecurity training programmes optional
- optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional
- optional, not held solve ICT system problems optional
21 held skills the ethical hacker role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse ICT system skill
- not needed by the target role cloud technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role create flowchart diagram skill
- not needed by the target role debug software skill
- not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
- not needed by the target role design user interface skill
- not needed by the target role develop ICT device driver skill
- not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
- not needed by the target role develop software prototype skill
- not needed by the target role digital systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role embedded systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role integrate system components skill
- not needed by the target role interpret technical texts skill
- not needed by the target role keep up with the latest information systems solutions skill
- not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
- not needed by the target role provide ICT consulting advice skill
- not needed by the target role report test findings skill
- not needed by the target role safety engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role use software design patterns skill
- not needed by the target role use software libraries skill
- not needed by the target role utilise computer-aided software engineering tools skill
36 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn ICT infrastructure required
- still to learn ICT system integration required
- still to learn attack vectors required
- still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
- still to learn computer forensics required
- still to learn cyber security required
- still to learn operating systems required
- still to learn penetration testing tool required
- still to learn tools for ICT test automation required
- still to learn web application security threats required
- still to learn ethics required
- still to learn legal requirements of ICT products required
- optional, not held Aircrack (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Backbox (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held BlackArch optional
- optional, not held Cain and Abel (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held ICT security legislation optional
- optional, not held John The Ripper (penetration testing tool) optional
- optional, not held Kali Linux optional
- optional, not held Maltego optional
- optional, not held Metasploit optional
- optional, not held Nessus optional
- optional, not held Nexpose optional
- optional, not held OWASP ZAP optional
- optional, not held Open source model optional
- optional, not held Outsourcing model optional
- optional, not held Parrot Security OS optional
- optional, not held Samurai Web Testing Framework optional
- optional, not held WhiteHat Sentinel optional
- optional, not held Wireshark optional
- optional, not held hybrid model optional
- optional, not held information confidentiality optional
- optional, not held internet governance optional
- optional, not held levels of software testing optional
- optional, not held proxy servers optional
- optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
Other moves recorded from embedded systems security engineer
Common questions about this move
Can an embedded systems security engineer become an ethical hacker?
Yes, and it is a career change move. An embedded systems security engineer already covers 31% of what an ethical hacker is expected to do: 20 skills carry over, 13 of which the ethical hacker role treats as required.
What skills does an embedded systems security engineer need to become an ethical hacker?
23 required skills are missing, plus 31 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information and communication technologies (icts). The single most important is ICT infrastructure.
How hard is the move from embedded systems security engineer to ethical hacker?
Its learning distance is 78.4 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.