Ethical hacker to embedded systems security engineer
An ethical hacker already meets 49% of what the embedded systems security engineer role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.5/ 100
1 How much of what an embedded systems security engineer is expected to do is already part of an ethical hacker’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 embedded systems security engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An embedded systems security engineer role treats 15 of its required skills as things an ethical hacker already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- ICT network security risks
- ICT security standards
- Internet of Things
- computer programming
- cyber attack counter-measures
- define security policies
What stands in the way is 16 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 embedded systems security engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an ethical hacker background worth leading with.
- already held define security policies management skills
- already held ICT safety working with computers
- already held ethical hacking principles information and communication technologies (icts)
- 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 15 the embedded systems security engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 21 missing skills fall into 6 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 develop ICT device driver required
- still to learn analyse ICT system required
- still to learn develop software prototype required
- still to learn use software libraries required
- still to learn utilise computer-aided software engineering tools required
- optional, not held debug software optional
- optional, not held integrate system components optional
- still to learn interpret technical texts required
- still to learn keep up with the latest information systems solutions required
- still to learn perform risk analysis required
- still to learn report test findings required
- still to learn provide ICT consulting advice required
- still to learn use software design patterns required
- still to learn create flowchart diagram required
- optional, not held design user interface optional
- optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
- still to learn embedded systems required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- still to learn digital systems required
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
- still to learn define technical requirements required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an embedded systems security engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 develop ICT device driver practise this
- 02 analyse ICT system practise this
- 03 develop software prototype practise this
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 Internet of Things knowledge
- already held computer programming knowledge
- already held cyber attack counter-measures knowledge
- already held define security policies skill
- 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 manage IT security compliances skill
- 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 ethical hacking principles knowledge
- already held organisational resilience knowledge
- already held perform project management skill
5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
- optional, not held debug software optional
- optional, not held design user interface optional
- optional, not held integrate system components optional
- optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
54 held skills the embedded systems security engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role Aircrack (penetration testing tool) knowledge
- not needed by the target role Backbox (penetration testing tool) knowledge
- not needed by the target role BlackArch knowledge
- not needed by the target role Cain and Abel (penetration testing tool) knowledge
- not needed by the target role ICT infrastructure knowledge
- not needed by the target role ICT security legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role ICT system integration knowledge
- not needed by the target role John The Ripper (penetration testing tool) knowledge
- not needed by the target role Kali Linux knowledge
- not needed by the target role Maltego knowledge
- not needed by the target role Metasploit knowledge
- not needed by the target role Nessus knowledge
- not needed by the target role Nexpose knowledge
- not needed by the target role OWASP ZAP knowledge
- not needed by the target role Open source model knowledge
- not needed by the target role Outsourcing model knowledge
- not needed by the target role Parrot Security OS knowledge
- not needed by the target role Samurai Web Testing Framework knowledge
- not needed by the target role WhiteHat Sentinel knowledge
- not needed by the target role Wireshark knowledge
- not needed by the target role address problems critically skill
- not needed by the target role analyse the context of an organisation skill
- not needed by the target role attack vectors knowledge
- not needed by the target role building systems monitoring technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role communicate with stakeholders skill
- not needed by the target role computer forensics knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct ICT code review skill
- not needed by the target role cyber security knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop code exploits skill
- not needed by the target role engage with stakeholders skill
- not needed by the target role ethics knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute ICT audits skill
- not needed by the target role execute social engineering tests skill
- not needed by the target role hybrid model knowledge
- not needed by the target role implement ICT risk management skill
- not needed by the target role implement ICT security policies skill
- not needed by the target role implement a firewall skill
- not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge
- not needed by the target role internet governance knowledge
- not needed by the target role legal requirements of ICT products knowledge
14 further entries not listed here
4 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 embedded systems required
- still to learn digital systems required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- optional, not held cloud technologies optional
Common questions about this move
Can an ethical hacker become an embedded systems security engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An ethical hacker already covers 49% of what an embedded systems security engineer is expected to do: 20 skills carry over, 15 of which the embedded systems security engineer role treats as required.
What skills does an ethical hacker need to become an embedded systems security engineer?
16 required skills are missing, plus 5 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with computers. The single most important is develop ICT device driver.
How hard is the move from ethical hacker to embedded systems security engineer?
Its learning distance is 60.5 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.