What is a Data Cyentist?
Data cyentist is a data scientist specializing in the cyber security domain.
Why do we need Data Cyentists?
The cyber domain deals with more and more abstract and dynamic threats, and these threats cannot be handled with traditional tools such as: rules, signatures and simple mathematical models. The data cyentist’s goal is to find innovative solutions to cyber threats using (mostly) machine learning approaches.
#1 Data science as a de-facto tool for cyber security
Why do you need this blog?
The web is stocked with information and tutorials regarding data science and the cyber would, but most of the information is not practical because it is too narrow or too general for getting started. Furthermore, these domains are presented separately and the connection between data science and cyber security is missing.
This blog is designed to create common knowledge between data cyentists and to enable everyone to become one. The main goal is to give an easy start before going deeper into each topic. The modules will expose you to different topics and practical tools in data science and in cyber security. After starting, you can choose to go deeper into each topic and enrich your knowledge with other recommended sources (i.e., books, tutorials, courses and blogs).
How can you use this Blog?
The blog is structured from three modules, starting from the data cyentist Fundamentals module to get the most basic knowledge and skills that are required from a data cyentist. The three main fundamentals we will explore are: the cyber domain, statistics & machine learning knowledge and technical tools.
Then we will learn the data cyentist workflow module where a general working methodology is suggested based on the learned building blocks, and then each block will be explained in a more practical manner. Finally, we will get some practice and ideas from the data cyentist use cases module where different use cases are presented and solved using the presented workflow.
Summary of the three modules:
- Data Cyentist Fundamentals – explore the knowledge, skills and tools a data cyentist must possess.
- Data Cyentist Workflow – operate and combine knowledge and skills into one process
- Data Cyentist Use Cases –solve different cyber security problems with the workflow.
Extra notes:
Feel free to skip topics you already know (though a second read won’t kill you). On the other hand, know your weaknesses and keep improving on them, as much more effort will be needed from you to enrich your knowledge and skills.
The information you will find here is a mixture taken from simple Wikipedia Pages, blogs, books, articles and academic courses I took. Feel free to send me any corrections regarding the posts and if more detailed explanations are needed!
About Me
Since 2009 I eat, sleep and dream cyber security. In 2013 I discovered the machine learning wonders and ever since; I have been combining those two passions in my everyday work. Currently, I am working as a data scientist in a cyber security innovation lab (= data Cyentist).
Good luck to you all!
The Data Cyentist