Are you looking to becoming a malware analyst? Then continue reading to discover how to gain the training you need and start a career in malware analysis career.
Did you know that new malware is released every seven seconds?
As more and more systems become reliant on the internet, the proliferation of malware becomes increasingly destructive. Once upon a time, a computer virus might cause considerable inconvenience, but its reach might have been limited to the handful of systems connected to the internet.
Today, with every home, factory, and institution online, it’s theoretically possible for malware to shut down an entire nation.
That’s where malware analysis comes in.
Malware analysis is the process of isolating and reverse-engineering malicious software. Malware analysts draw on a wide range of skills, from programming to digital forensics, to identify and understand different types of malware. From there, they can design security solutions to protect computers from similar types of malware in the future.
As you can imagine, becoming a malware analyst is less than simple. Practical malware analysis demands a range of skill sets and can take a long time to master.
However, if you have a passion for code, white-hat hacking, or simply keeping systems safe, malware analysis can be a rewarding and lucrative career.
To learn how you can successfully become a professional malware analyst, keep reading.
What is a Malware Analyst?
More than anything, a malware analyst is a cyber detective but with advanced coding skills. They use tools like malware analysis sandboxes to isolate and study suspicious software.
A malware analyst may work for an antivirus software developer. Others work for large companies in their IT departments. As you might imagine, malware analysts are sought-after and generally well paid. Their advanced knowledge and unique skill set make them invaluable to the businesses that rely upon them. This often puts them at a competitive advantage in the job market.
What Does a Malware Analyst Do?
The main job of a malware analyst is to identify, study, and understand different forms of malware and their delivery methods. Different malware types include viruses, spyware, adware, bugs, bots, Trojan horses, and more.
As a malware analyst, you will use dynamic malware analysis tools to gain insight into software attacks. Most of the time, you will be called in to examine suspicious code to determine if it’s safe or not.
Steps to Becoming a Malware Analyst
If you think becoming a malware analyst is the right path for you, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’ll go over the basic steps to becoming a successful malware analyst.
Get the Right Education
As with any career, the first step to success is getting a good education. Most malware analysts will begin their journeys by getting a degree in either cybersecurity or computer science.
However, a formal college degree may not be necessary to become an effective malware analyst. More and more businesses are starting to place less value on traditional education, focusing instead on practical knowledge and qualifications.
With practical course like the Ultimate Malware Reverse Engineering Bundle offered by two renowned malware analysts—Vitali Kremez and Daniel Bunce—you can study malware analysis online. This bundle contains a malware analysis course for beginners and an advanced ‘Zero2Automated’ training program that covers analyzing advanced techniques used by malware and comes with access to a Sandbox and MISP instance as an add-on.
Start Your Career Path
Oftentimes malware analysts start their careers in a related tech field. Usually, these fields are related to coding and development. You may find it useful to master computer programming and get a job in software development.
Getting advanced, hands-on experience with skills like this will give you a deeper understanding of how software is created and deployed. Since malware is simply software used for nefarious purposes, this kind of knowledge comes in handy as an analyst.
Get Professional Certifications
When it comes to getting certified, things can be slightly confusing. This is because there’s no industry-wide certification required for malware analysts.
However, the right certifications will show potential hirers that you understand all aspects of software and cybersecurity.
Valuable certificates can often be obtained from any high-quality course on malware analysis. For example, when you complete the Ultimate Malware Reverse Engineering Bundle, you receive a certificate of completion. This will prove to would-be employers that you know your stuff.
Gain Practical Experience
The knowledge required to be an effective analyst is very practical and hands-on. Although memorizing information can be helpful, the ultimate test of a skilled analyst happens in the field.
Because of this, it’s very important that you get as much experience as possible relevant to your goal of being a malware analyst.
The Ultimate Malware Reverse Engineering Bundle was developed by professional malware analysts, and it may be the greatest place to begin for building your experience.
Never Stop Learning
As we mentioned earlier, new malware is released every seven seconds. Hackers constantly learn from past mistakes and innovate on the software they’ve already made. In order to keep up, malware analysts must be constantly learning.
This applies whether you’re just starting with the Ultimate Malware Reverse Engineering or you’ve been practicing malware analysis for decades. Having an attitude of constant improvement is critical for success.
Become an Expert on Malware Analysis Today
From Trojan horses to Snake malware, malware analysis is a complex field. But with the right education, certifications, and preparation, anyone can become a successful malware analyst.
Do you feel like malware analysis may be your calling?
Whether you’re uniquely talented with computers or just eager to expand your skills, the beginner malware analysis course and Zero2Automated training may be right for you. With the Ultimate Malware Reverse Engineering Bundle, you too can become an effective and highly-paid malware analyst.
These courses provide you with over 35 hours of content relating to malware analysis and reverse engineering, and they both take a hands-on practical approach to learning the skill set.
Additionally, Zero2Automated provides access to an exclusive Slack channel with other students of the course, as well as a 3-month premium license to the ANY.RUN platform; an essential tool when it comes to malware reverse engineering.
If you hurry, you can use our coupon code ‘THEHACKERNEWS’ to get 15% off this bundle, eligible for one week. Start today!