Cyber Security Analyst

A Cyber Security Analyst protects an organisation's digital infrastructure and data by identifying, monitoring, and responding to security threats and vulnerabilities. They work within IT departments or dedicated security operations centres, using specialised tools and techniques to detect unauthorised access, malware, and network intrusions, and implement controls aligned with Australian regulatory frameworks such as the Privacy Act 1988 and mandatory data breach notification requirements.

Monitor network traffic and system logs using security information and event management (SIEM) tools to identify suspicious activity and potential security incidents. Conduct vulnerability assessments and penetration testing on systems and applications to discover weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. Analyse malware samples and suspicious files using forensic tools and sandbox environments to understand attack methods and threat indicators. Respond to security incidents by isolating affected systems, containing threats, preserving evidence, and documenting findings for incident reports. Review access controls and user privileges across systems to ensure compliance with the principle of least privilege and detect unauthorised access attempts. Develop and maintain security baselines and hardening guides for infrastructure aligned with standards such as the Australian Information Security Manual (ISM). Collaborate with IT operations teams to deploy patches, firewall rules, and intrusion detection signatures that block known threats. Generate security alerts and dashboards from SIEM platforms to communicate risk status to management and security stakeholders.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need deep technical skills before you're hireable, and that takes 2 to 3 years of hands-on IT work first. Many employers want certifications like Security+, CISSP or GIAC before they'll consider you. The stress is real too: you're on-call for incidents at 2am, and when a breach happens, you're accountable. Pay plateaus faster than software dev roles unless you move into management.

Remote work is common in bigger cities but rarer in regional areas where fewer organisations have dedicated security teams. Government departments (federal and state) employ many, as do banks and insurance companies.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2621, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Documentationcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Reporting and Analyticscore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Verification and Authenticationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Cloud monitoring and reporting
• Cloud technologies
• Escalation Management
• Microsoft Excel Data Management
• Power BI Reporting and Dashboards
• Process Improvement Identification
• Quality Assurance Monitoring
• ServiceNow IT Service Management
• Stakeholder Communication
• Team Collaboration
• Time Management and Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026