Cybersecurity is a booming industry with many job opportunities, though you need a certain skill set to make your way through the ranks. Programming is a big question in this field, as most analysts don’t know if they’ll code but are encouraged to learn. So, do cybersecurity analysts code?

Although cybersecurity analysts rarely write code, knowing how to program is vital for people in this field. Attacking and defending software, websites, and similar systems require understanding how each works from the ground up, and learning how to program is a must for that.

In this article, we’ll explain why coding is a must for cybersecurity analysts, what’s the best programming language to learn in cybersecurity, and whether you can land a job without knowing how to code.

Why Is Coding a Must for Cybersecurity Analysts?

Cybersecurity analysts need to learn to code if they want to advance in their careers. It’s easy to land a job without coding skills, but getting better-paying jobs without that vital skill set is difficult.

Sure, there are countless cybersecurity-related tools for you to use. However, the best in the field not only use those tools but understand how they work – and it’d be impossible for you to do the same if you don’t know how to code.

At the same time, many cybersecurity jobs deal with web apps. Unless you can read and write code, you’ll never understand how to find vulnerabilities and improve the security of these systems.

Can I Get Into Cybersecurity Without Learning to Program?

It’s not difficult to land a job in cybersecurity if you’ve never written a line of code before. However, that will greatly diminish your chances of rising through the ranks.

In other words, you’ll land your first cybersecurity job without coding skills, though you may forever remain there if you don’t learn how to program.

At the same time, even if you don’t need to code for your job, cybersecurity requires people to have a curious mindset. You won’t get far if you don’t have a thirst for knowledge, which should push you to learn the basics of programming at least.

Which Cybersecurity Jobs Require Coding?

Penetration testers, cybersecurity engineers, and cryptographers must know how to program. Each one of these career paths requires coding for different reasons, so anyone interested in either three will have to sharpen their programming sword.

Coding is fundamental for pen testing, which is what most people think about when they talk about hacking. Programming in Python is vital to automate several pen testing tasks.

Cybersecurity engineers need to know the system they protect inside and out. More often than not, they will audit software – and they won’t be able to do so unless they know how to code.

Cryptographers are less known in the cybersecurity community, though not less important. Cryptography deals with encoding and decoding information, and knowing how to create and use encryption software is a must, thus forcing your hand to learn how to code.

Do Cybersecurity Analysts Program a Lot?

You’ll spend a lot of time reading code in certain cybersecurity jobs, though that doesn’t mean you’ll program a lot. However, knowing how to code will be important if you want to work in anything related to web security.

Let’s put it this way: as a cybersecurity analyst, you’ll have to play offense or defense.

When it’s time to attack or defend a system, you’ll need to know how it works inside and out, so you can either attack it – or think like an attacker to block offensive attempts.

In other words, you’ll have to understand how something works to scan for vulnerabilities. You can only understand how a website, software, or system works if you know how it was built – or programmed.

What Coding Languages Are Used in Cybersecurity?

You’ll have to learn a lot of programming languages throughout your cybersecurity career, including Python, Java, and JavaScript.

• Python. The best programming language for beginners and, perhaps, the most widespread in cybersecurity. Several of the best penetration testing tools are written in Python, and knowing this coding language will help you develop your own tools early on.
• Java. This programming language is very common in mobile app development, which means any cybersecurity analyst needs to know the basics of it. More than 90% of the world’s population uses smartphones, and many companies will hire you to audit their mobile apps.
• JavaScript. More than 97% of websites use JavaScript. If a company hires you to audit a website, it’ll be impossible if you don’t understand how JavaScript works.

What’s the Best Programming Language for Cybersecurity?

Python is the best programming language for cybersecurity enthusiasts and analysts who don’t know how to code.

It’s easy to learn, use, and read. At the same time, it’s one of the most widespread languages worldwide, so you’ll have no issues finding tutorials and communities to learn from.

However, more experienced coders should invest their time in learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Web development is one of the biggest areas in technology today, and the most important companies (such as Amazon, Google, and Meta) rely on their websites to make money. If you want to make it big in this industry, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and learn web development too.

You’ll need to learn several programming languages as a cybersecurity analyst. Starting with Python is a great idea, but you won’t stop there: you’ll continue to learn as you progress in your career.

Conclusion

You don’t need to code to land your first cybersecurity job, but you’ll need to sharpen your programming skills if you want to work anything other than an entry-level job. At the same time, having curiosity and continuing to learn on your own are key to becoming a great cybersecurity analyst.