Why You Should Use Python for Cyber Security | UMBC Training (2024)

The Python programming language is a versatile and easy to learn language. The ease of developing in Python has contributed to its rise as one of the most popular general purpose programming languages used today.

While Python can be be used to write a number of software programs, it has really dominated the fields of Game Development, Data Science / Machine Learning and other Sciences predominantly due to the rich set of libraries, frameworks and tools available and uniquely designed to ease the daily tasks of professionals in these fields.

More recently, professionals are leveraging the power of Python in a different field: cybersecurity.

Is Python The Best Language To Learn For Cybersecurity?

The current state of cybersecurity is frankly grim:

• Attacks occur every few seconds
• Hackers target nearly every organization — small and large businesses, governments, healthcare, charities, etc.
• Millions of records are stolen daily
• State-backed attacks will no longer be covered under some cybersecurity insurance policies

This list barely scratches the surface of the cybersecurity struggles faced by individuals and organizations alike, but it also reveals one necessity in the fight to secure systems and data against breaches: cybersecurity professionals need to work faster than ever.

There is little hope to hire enough cyber professionals to meet this need, so automating daily tasks is the most viable solution to achieving greater speed. Python offers an ideal gateway to achieve this, so yes Python is an ideal language for all cyber professionals to learn.

Why Should Cyber Professionals Learn Python First?

If you are just starting to add a programming language to your cyber tool box, Python should be the first language to learn. Python programming is free, open-source and easy to learn due to its focus on code readability. This, combined with Python’s extensive library list, allows cyber security professionals to easily write scripts with minimal code and customize it to fit your unique automation needs and requirements.

It is important to note, that at the beginning and intermediate stages of your career, understanding Python or any programming language will not be required. However, if you aspire to grow your cybersecurity career or open the door to moving into another field such as Data Science, learning Python can be a major asset.

How To Use Python For Cyber Security

Python programming allows cyber pros to write scripts, automate processes and customize tools to support a number of offensive and defensive cybersecurity functions including:

• Malware analysis
• Wireless network scanning
• Port scanning
• Packet sniffing
• TCP Packet injection
• Geolocation extraction
• Web server fingerprinting
• Penetration Testing
• Developing intrusion detection & prevention systems
• Website cloning
• Load generation and testing of a website
• Transmission of traffic in the network
• Accessing mail servers & more

Best Python Libraries For Cyber Security

A consistent selling point for Python programming is the availability of libraries that can be customized and then leveraged to perform tasks quickly without having to write a program from scratch. Below are the most commonly used Python libraries used for offensive and defensive cyber security functions:

• Pandas
• NumPy
• NLTK
• Scikit
• NMap
• Twisted
• Scapy
• Beautiful Soup
• Cryptography Library
• YARA
• Pymetasploit3
• Mechanize
• Socket
• Requests

Learn Python For Cyber Security

If you are ready to learn Python programming, consider enrolling in one of our upcoming classes:

• Software Developer Foundations: Ideal for anyone without a tech background looking to learn the basics of Python programming.
• Python Programming: Ideal for more experienced software developers or cyber professionals who want to learn Python programming.

We can also help you design a custom python programming class exclusive for your team. We train hundreds of students each year on customized topics including:

• Object Oriented Programming Using Python
• SQL Development in Python
• Python Programming for New Programmers
• Advanced Python Programming
• Machine Learning & Data Science with Python
• Practical Network Programming in Python & more

Contact our team to learn more.