Peernovo
Other data processing and communication engineers

How to become a Security Operations Specialist

Also called: Information security engineer, Security analyst, Security engineer (operations)

Constantly monitors information systems and networks, protects them from attacks and unauthorised access, and responds to attacks.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but most people have at least a university degree, often in information science within science and engineering or in social informatics. More and more universities are setting up departments specialising in security. Apart from new graduates, people move from nearby industries, such as other companies in the same industry or security software developers, or switch from being system design engineers or programmers. No qualification is essential for the work, and track record and experience matter most, but some people sit the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer, Applied Information Technology Engineer, Information Security Management or Registered Information Security Specialist exams. Some companies pay an allowance to staff who pass these exams. For training after joining, some companies follow induction training with 1 to 2 years of on-the-job training under experienced staff (sometimes called senior analysts, senior operators or supervisors), covering log analysis, operating security devices and so on. You are seen as fully skilled once you can operate security devices freely, understand what the situation shown by logs and indicators means for security and how it affects systems, and explain it clearly and accurately to clients. It is said to take about 3 years of experience to reach this level. People also often join security workshops, splitting into attacking and defending teams to sharpen practical skills. Some become leaders of security monitoring and response teams (called senior analysts at some companies), then managers and company executives, and some move to system developers or manufacturers as security experts. Some become security consultants. The first skill needed is information gathering. It is important to always keep up with new security technologies and products, collect and analyse information on incidents inside and outside the organisation, and keep updating the right responses. You also need communication skills to explain the situation and response clearly and accurately to clients and others who are not security experts, so that damage is kept to a minimum. The ability to predict incidents before they happen and to solve problems with the crisis response team when they do is also needed.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

Related jobs

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Security Operations Specialist?

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but most people have at least a university degree, often in information science within science and engineering or in social informatics. More and more universities are setting up departments specialising in security. Apart from new graduates, people move from nearby industries, such as other companies in the same industry or security software developers, or switch from being system design engineers or programmers. No qualification is essential for the work, and track record and experience matter most, but some people sit the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer, Applied Information Technology Engineer, Information Security Management or Registered Information Security Specialist exams. Some companies pay an allowance to staff who pass these exams. For training after joining, some companies follow induction training with 1 to 2 years of on-the-job training under experienced staff (sometimes called senior analysts, senior operators or supervisors), covering log analysis, operating security devices and so on. You are seen as fully skilled once you can operate security devices freely, understand what the situation shown by logs and indicators means for security and how it affects systems, and explain it clearly and accurately to clients. It is said to take about 3 years of experience to reach this level. People also often join security workshops, splitting into attacking and defending teams to sharpen practical skills. Some become leaders of security monitoring and response teams (called senior analysts at some companies), then managers and company executives, and some move to system developers or manufacturers as security experts. Some become security consultants. The first skill needed is information gathering. It is important to always keep up with new security technologies and products, collect and analyse information on incidents inside and outside the organisation, and keep updating the right responses. You also need communication skills to explain the situation and response clearly and accurately to clients and others who are not security experts, so that damage is kept to a minimum. The ability to predict incidents before they happen and to solve problems with the crisis response team when they do is also needed.

How much does a Security Operations Specialist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,097,600 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other data processing and communication engineers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Security Operations Specialist?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 61% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Security Operations Specialist?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026