Top 16 Ways to Make Money in Cyber Security!

Looking for different ways to make money in cyber security? As you know by now, cyber security is a very profitable industry. As such, there are many ways you can utilize your skills and knowledge in a niche field to open up new revenue streams.

Let’s look at our top 16 ways to make money in cyber security:

1. Look For Your Niche

As we have said throughout this article, niches are often your friends when looking to make money in such a congested industry.

If you market yourself as a cyber security expert, you may find it tricky to attract customers.

Companies generally don’t search for cyber security experts, they search for people who are experts at particular problems they are having, such as malware, compliance, or auditing.

If you make yourself the go-to compliance expert, you will get the majority of business within that niche.

If you market to everyone, you won’t get anyone, as the famous saying goes.

2. Work As a Cyber Security Freelancer

When it comes to the world of security, freelance roles are a perfect way to make money in cyber security, sometimes over a short space of time.

Freelance rates are very competitive as companies are often more willing to pay the big bucks for an expert to come in and complete a shorter-term job, compared to paying a salary and benefits over a long period of time.

If you can build up a client base, get your name out there, and make freelancing work for you, it can be a great way to make money in the cyber security scene.

And many of the tips below can apply to freelancing too.

3. Work As a Security Consultant

Cyber security consultancy is both one of the most popular and one of the most lucrative forms of work within the sector.

It involves businesses hiring you as a self-employed freelance to give them advice and guidance on cyber security, often a particular niche within the more general topic.

For example, one company may want to look for an expert to guide them on automation engineering.

Or a business might want to look for someone with knowledge of malware.

As a consultant, the more experience you have within your niche, the better.

It is only natural that businesses want to employ the most knowledgeable person in their field when it comes to something as serious as cyber security.

4. Start Cyber Security Auditing

When it comes to cyber security, compliance is a big deal, especially when you are dealing with hefty amounts of sensitive information on behalf of your clients/users.

As such, many businesses have to set up audits every six or 12 months.

These audits usually require preparation from an outsider/third party, which is how many cyber security professionals made a good amount of money without signing full-time contracts.

The best thing to do as an auditor is to specialize in one particular area of law, for example, GDPR.

You can then sell yourself as a GDPR expert who can perfectly prepare a company for its upcoming audit to ensure everything is in working order.

5. Writing About Cyber Security

Technically, this very article is an example of how cyber security writing jobs are accessible and essential at the moment.

The possibility for written content in the cyber security world is quite literally endless.

Companies are always on the lookout for talented writers for blogs, marketing content, whitepapers, website content, newsletters, and more.

If you have a background in cyber security, the advantage you give yourself over other writers is the bank of knowledge already at your fingertips.

When it comes to something as technical as cyber security, a little knowledge goes a long way, and a lot of knowledge is priceless.

Of course, even if you don’t have experience in cyber security, you will still get plenty of opportunities for work if you look for it.

Creating a portfolio that includes a sample cyber security article is always a good way to convince employers that you are the right person to choose.

You can also look to adapt any skills you have to the cyber security world.

For example, if you have a background in journalism, you can market yourself as a cyber security news writer.

Or if you have a background in sales, you can contact companies that sell cyber security products and either write content for them or work on commission.

6. Trade in Cyber Security Stocks

For those who are interested in stock investment, this is the simplest way to make money in cyber security.

With such a shift towards an online world, which has only been catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many cybersecurity stocks are performing very well and continue to be on the way up.

Compare it to many other sectors that suffered a huge drop over the past few years due to the pandemic, and cyber security stocks become even more attractive.

This is definitely a cyber security niche in terms of making money, but if you have pre-existing knowledge, why not put it to use? Here are a couple cyber security funds to research (we’re not being paid and we provide no guarantees):

7. Create Online Cyber Security Courses or Bootcamps

What happens when an industry is performing well? People want to learn about it!

Everyone has to start somewhere, and most people can’t afford or don’t want to shell out for an expensive education, especially when information can be found for cheaper on the internet.

That’s where you come in! The cyber security sector is such a vast industry that there are quite literally endless numbers of topics and niches for you to write about.

Sure, you may have to market your expert courses in the right way to make them profitable, but this also represents a chance for passive income.

Once you write and publish a course, you could potentially receive income from people signing up to it for years after you actually wrote it.

If you get enough high-quality content up and perhaps build a brand around cyber security education, it can represent a real money spinner.

8. Become a Cyber Security Hacker

There are always companies that welcome white-hat hackers (the friendly hackers) through their doors.

No, really! The best way for businesses to check whether they have vulnerabilities is to ask hackers to try and find them!

Companies may welcome you on as a freelancer to regularly hunt for problems in their software/website, while there are also hacking platforms and events for more widespread access.

Huge companies like Sony and Facebook even hold Bug Bounty programs for hackers to search for those pesky bugs.

Let’s face it, if you know your way around a computer and fancy yourself as a hacker, there aren’t many cooler ways to earn money!

9. Set Up Your Own Business in Cyber Security

Starting a business in cyber security is by no means limited to those with expertise in the industry already. If you have an eye for business, there is always money to be made.

You could bring a cyber security expert on board and collaborate to come up with a company that fits a certain niche within the industry.

This could be a cyber security consultancy firm, it could be an educational business, or even a company that provides solutions to businesses in a certain sector.

It doesn’t even have to be a brand-new idea. There is nothing wrong with doing what has already been done but putting your own spin on things.

10. Develop a Cyber Security Application

In the modern world, if something doesn’t have an app, it isn’t worth talking about.

And with the field of cyber security, there are all kinds of applications for these… applications.

Information apps, news apps, apps that scan sites for flaws, apps that scan devices for malware, etc.

You can even make yourself available for tailored orders, making cyber security apps for other people or particular businesses.

The best advice is to think of a security problem a lot of people have, and then create a simple solution.

11. Write About Cyber Security

Much like the cyber security courses, you can also try your hand at writing a book.

Once you write a book and publish it, you can claim income for years to come if it proves to be popular.

As such, the best books are those that teach people something within the cyber security industry, whether that be through an educational format or simply your own career anecdotes.

We’re not talking about an 80,000-word thriller here either. The best books in this niche are actually shorter e-books for people looking to learn about a very specific topic.

You can also write about a wide-reaching topic within the cyber security sector and remarket it to more niche readers.

For example, GDPR compliance for technology businesses, GDPR compliance for medical facilities, GDPR compliance for social media, etc.

12. Cyber Security Public Speaking

There will always be an endless supply of cybersecurity events throughout the year, and each of these events needs a list of guest speakers.

These guest speakers are people who have a lot of experience or knowledge in their particular field, and it definitely helps to have some interesting anecdotes from your career.

This is also a tidal wave type money-making path, as once you give one really good speech at an event, people in the crowd will often book you for their own, and so on, and so on.

Not only is it great for making money, but if you get your face and name out there enough, it can lead to lots of other money-making opportunities too.

Once your name is known, your books, courses, speeches, etc are worth a lot more money.

13. Become a Cyber Security Career Coach

Once you are already in the cyber security industry, one of the best ways to make money is to help others get their foot in the door.

After all, you have walked the path yourself and proven capable of making it in this cyber security world, so why shouldn’t they trust you to teach them how you did it?

People will pay good money for one-on-one career coaching, particularly to get work in their specific fields like cyber security.

Every industry is different, even when it comes to things like writing your cover letter and designing your CV, so bringing an experienced eye to the situation can be of tremendous value.

14. Find A Cyber Security Mentor

If you are new to the cybersecurity industry, then why not reverse the advice we gave above? There is nothing wrong with seeking help from the more experienced.

Picking the brain of someone who has worked in a job you want for the past ten years is a perfect way to get a sense of the industry and what is required of you.

This won’t earn you a revenue stream directly but by establishing a relationship with someone in the industry, it can help open some doors.

We don’t necessarily mean this in a favouritism way, and it is unlikely they will hand you a job opportunity, but they may know the right doors for you to knock on, depending on what you want to achieve.

15. Become a Cyber Security YouTuber

When someone wants to know something, there are often two paths they take to find out the answer – Google and YouTube.

YouTube has a huge place in the educational scene these days, as it allows people to provide content for free, while claiming money on advert revenue from the platform itself.

Even if you don’t get millions of views and hundreds of dollars from the videos themselves, it can gain you a loyal audience within your niche that allows you to sell products like books and courses to them at a later date.

It can also just be great for exposure.

16. Get a Cyber Security Job

The most tried and true way of making money in cyber security is just a matter of getting a full-time company job.

So, if no other method appeals to you, consider obtaining a CompTIA Security+ certification and transitioning yourself into the cyber security industry.

The great thing is, there are currently over 750,000 cyber security jobs waiting to be filled in the open market and not nearly enough personnel to fill them all.

According to CyberSeek, roughly 2/3rds of the entire available workforce can fill the current demand; that means there’s immense potential for training opportunities and career growth.

It also doesn’t hurt that companies are willing to pay top dollar for individuals with the right set of skills.

“How much money can you make in cyber security?” With just one to two years of experience, you can easily make $75k…not bad!

Final Thoughts

Is cyber security profitable? Yes. But can cyber security make you rich in 2023? That really depends on which method you choose and how successful you become doing it.

No matter your profit motivation, you can make a lot of money in cyber security. You just need to have the right motivation and persistence!