Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

ICT security administrator to ethical hacker

An ICT security administrator already meets 42% of what the ethical hacker role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From ICT security administrator
42 % overlap
Partial match
To ethical hacker
29 You already bring
20 Still to learn
74 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

70.7/ 100

1 How much of what an ethical hacker is expected to do is already part of an ICT security administrator’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

Why this move works

An ethical hacker role treats 16 of its required skills as things an ICT security administrator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • ICT infrastructure
  • ICT network security risks
  • ICT security standards
  • address problems critically
  • computer forensics
  • cyber attack counter-measures

What stands in the way is 20 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 29 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 ICT security administrator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held computer forensics information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held web application security threats information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held ethical hacking principles information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held operating systems information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held ICT safety working with computers
  • already held identify ICT system weaknesses working with computers

All 29 carried skills, including the 16 the ethical hacker role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 45 missing skills fall into 9 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information and communication technologies (icts) 6 required, 21 supplementary
  • still to learn ICT system integration required
  • still to learn attack vectors required
  • still to learn penetration testing tool required
  • still to learn software anomalies required
  • still to learn tools for ICT test automation required
  • still to learn computer programming 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 levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held proxy servers optional
  • optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
02 working with computers 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • 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 perform ICT security testing required
  • optional, not held maintain ICT server optional
03 information skills 4 required
  • still to learn execute social engineering tests required
  • still to learn identify ICT security risks required
  • still to learn implement ICT risk management required
  • still to learn analyse the context of an organisation required
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn communicate with stakeholders required
  • still to learn engage with stakeholders required
  • optional, not held set up cybersecurity training programmes optional
05 arts and humanities 1 required
  • still to learn ethics required
06 business, administration and law 1 required
  • still to learn legal requirements of ICT products required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

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

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 29 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held ICT infrastructure knowledge
  • already held ICT network security risks knowledge
  • already held ICT security standards knowledge
  • already held address problems critically skill
  • already held computer forensics knowledge
  • already held cyber attack counter-measures knowledge
  • already held cyber security knowledge
  • already held ethical hacking principles knowledge
  • already held execute ICT audits skill
  • already held execute software tests skill
  • already held identify ICT system weaknesses skill
  • already held information security strategy knowledge
  • already held operating systems knowledge
  • already held security engineering knowledge
  • already held use scripting programming skill
  • already held web application security threats knowledge
  • already held ICT encryption knowledge
  • already held ICT safety skill
  • already held ICT security legislation knowledge
  • already held Internet of Things knowledge
  • already held implement ICT security policies skill
  • already held implement a firewall skill
  • already held information confidentiality knowledge
  • already held internet governance knowledge
  • already held manage IT security compliances skill
  • already held manage cloud data and storage skill
  • already held organisational resilience knowledge
  • already held remove computer virus or malware from a computer skill
  • already held solve ICT system problems skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 1 required
  • still to learn monitor system performance required
08 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required
  • still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
09 management skills 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held define security policies optional
  • optional, not held perform project management optional
25 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • 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 define security policies optional
  • optional, not held hybrid model optional
  • optional, not held levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held maintain ICT server 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 perform project management optional
30 held skills the ethical hacker role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role apply company policies skill
  • not needed by the target role assess ICT knowledge skill
  • not needed by the target role attend to ICT systems quality skill
  • not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
  • not needed by the target role cloud monitoring and reporting knowledge
  • not needed by the target role cloud security and compliance knowledge
  • not needed by the target role database development tools knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ensure proper document management skill
  • not needed by the target role implement a virtual private network skill
  • not needed by the target role implement anti-virus software skill
  • not needed by the target role implement cloud security and compliance skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret technical texts skill
  • not needed by the target role lead disaster recovery exercises skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain ICT identity management skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain database security skill
  • not needed by the target role manage ICT data architecture skill
  • not needed by the target role manage ICT virtualisation environments skill
  • not needed by the target role manage database skill
  • not needed by the target role manage keys for data protection skill
  • not needed by the target role mobile device management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role network standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role perform ICT troubleshooting skill
  • not needed by the target role perform backups skill
  • not needed by the target role protect personal data and privacy skill
  • not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role respond to incidents in cloud skill
  • not needed by the target role store digital data and systems skill
  • not needed by the target role system backup best practice knowledge
  • not needed by the target role telecom regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role train employees skill
30 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn ICT system integration required
  • still to learn attack vectors required
  • still to learn building systems monitoring technology required
  • still to learn penetration testing tool required
  • still to learn software anomalies required
  • still to learn tools for ICT test automation required
  • still to learn computer programming 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 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 levels of software testing optional
  • optional, not held proxy servers optional
  • optional, not held service-oriented modelling optional
Index

Other moves recorded from ICT security administrator

Full index of moves from ICT security administrator

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an ICT security administrator become an ethical hacker?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An ICT security administrator already covers 42% of what an ethical hacker is expected to do: 29 skills carry over, 16 of which the ethical hacker role treats as required.

What skills does an ICT security administrator need to become an ethical hacker?

20 required skills are missing, plus 25 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information and communication technologies (icts). The single most important is ICT system integration.

How hard is the move from ICT security administrator to ethical hacker?

Its learning distance is 70.7 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.