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Manavta
18 October, 2025
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One thing that every individual and startup owner stays cautious of is the digital theft that has become more common today. Imagine you have poured your heart and probably your entire life savings into your bank or invested in your startup. One day, when you try to log in to your admin panel, but your access is denied. A cold sweat breaks out. You check your cloud database, its empty. Your dream project becomes your worst nightmare. This is just one story out of the ever-growing list of cyberattacks in India.
Cybersecurity has evolved from just an academic specialisation to a major IT concern. From breakthrough threat detection platforms to AI-powered risk analytics and cloud-native security tools, startups are working to strengthen their digital defence. But what does this mean for cybersecurity professionals? With the increased risk of cyber fraud, the demand for highly skilled professionals has increased. If you are seeking a lucrative job opportunity in this field, this is the best time. In this blog, we have discussed some of the Indian startups which are desperately hiring cybersecurity professionals.
Working in a cybersecurity team comes with a unique blend of challenge and opportunity. In a startup, you will have to wear multiple hats, unlike a large organisation where learning is less. In a startup, you may be hired as a security engineer, but may have to help shape customer education, internal policy or shape product direction. Job roles at startups give you cross-functional exposure and make your skills more versatile.
Since you will have a direct contribution to the startup, you will have more visibility in the company and a higher chance of career advancement. This gives you an edge in the job market in future, if you switch companies later on.
The demand for cybersecurity professionals is widespread but especially intense in sectors that handle sensitive data. Here’s the list of popular startups which are hiring cybersecurity experts to build their digital defence.
These companies deal with a huge amount of financial data and transaction details of hundreds of customers, making them prime targets. These companies constantly hire cloud security professionals for fraud analysis roles, etc.
These platforms have complex supply chains and vast customer data, which is vulnerable, therefore, it requires management and proper analysis.
As B2B companies, they need to have a strong security posture. It is their direct selling point for enterprise clients. Therefore, they heavily invest in cybersecurity professionals.
Now, you know what kind of startups need cybersecurity professionals. But what are the specific job roles and what are their responsibilities? Since startups have limited resources, they hire for very specific niche-oriented job roles. Here are high-paying career options in the cybersecurity sector with their job roles:
More than 80% of startups function through the cloud, like AWS, Azure, GCP, etc. A cloud security engineer is an expert who is tasked with securing these systems.
This is one of the premium roles in cybersecurity. A DevSecOps engineer has to integrate security tools into the CI/CD pipeline. They set up automated Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and other such tools to identify vulnerabilities before going live.
App engineer or the code doctor, it’s one and the same thing. They have to work with the developers to perform code reviews, carry out penetration tests on applications and perform other related tasks.
They are the frontline defenders. In this role, you have to monitor security alerts 24/7 from SIEM tools. You have to triage alerts and distinguish real threats from false alerts.
In this job role, you have to create and maintain security protocols to prevent unauthorised users from accessing company information.
The day-to-day tasks of a penetration tester depend on the nature of the company. You have to design and conduct simulated social engineering attacks.
Apart from this, there are many job roles which you can explore. Some companies may hire for the above roles only, but with different names.
There are multiple pathways available for you in the cybersecurity field. Let’s have a glimpse of the cybersecurity salaries of the different job roles in India:
| Job Role | Pay Range (in INR) |
|---|---|
| Penetration Tester | INR 10 – 21 LPA |
| Cloud Security Engineering | INR 12.4 – 30 LPA |
| DevSecOps Engineering | INR 14.7 – 33 LPA |
| Application Security Engineer | INR 11.8 – 34 LPA |
| Security Analyst | INR 6.6 – 11.9 LPA |
| Network Security Engineer | INR 7.9 – 16 LPA |
If you are aspiring to become a cybersecurity professional, there are various courses you can pursue. Here are some of thebest free cybersecurity courses you can enroll in as a beginner:
| Course Name | Particulars |
|---|---|
| Foundations of Cybersecurity by Coursera | Duration: 9 hours approx. Free learning/free certifications |
| Cybersecurity Threats by Great Learning Academy | Duration: 2.25 hours Free learning/paid certification |
| Cybersecurity: Preventing a Hack by Herovired | Duration: 7 hours Free learning (certification included) |
| Cybersecurity Case Studies and Capstone Project by Coursera | Duration: 16 hours approx. Free learning/free certificate |
| IBM: Beginners’ Guide to Cybersecurity by edX | Duration: 4 weeks Free learning/certificates available for paid courses only |
| Cybersecurity Course for Beginners – Level 01 by Udemy | Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes Free learning/certificates available for paid courses only |
It won’t be wrong to say that the digital landscape of Indian business is being reshaped. Those startups which understand the simple truth that innovation without security will not help them thrive and survive in the future. With technology advancing each day, new threats are popping up in the market. This directly impacts the demand for skilled professionals. So, if you have ever considered a career in cybersecurity, start with a beginner-level course that suits your proficiency level. Start today because the Indian startup ecosystem is calling.
The most common and easiest position to start your career in this field is the job role of a security analyst.
Although it depends on the job role, on average, you can earn between INR 6.6 to 14 LPA. This salary range may vary based on experience.
There is a high demand for cybersecurity professionals in startups like Razorpay, CRED, Practo, etc.
While salaries vary based on experience and your skills, some positions like security architect, cloud security engineer, DevSecOps engineer, and application security engineer can earn good compensation.
An entry-level cybersecurity analyst earns between INR 4 to 8 LPA, which increases with experience and can go up to INR 25 LPA for senior-level job roles.
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