Education & Career Trends: October 9, 2024
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Excerpts are taken from an article published on forbes.com.
As the need for secure and reliable computer infrastructure grows, so does the demand for professionals in cybersecurity roles. These experts play a vital role in protecting sensitive data and personal information from cyberattacks and other prominent threats. This article explores how you can break into the cybersecurity field, the degree options available, and the potential careers in cybersecurity.
What is Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity refers to safeguarding information and data on computers, networks, and electronic devices from unauthorised access and cyberattacks. Within the field, professionals work to anticipate, prevent, and respond to digital threats.
Nearly every industry today relies on cybersecurity to protect itself from leaks, breaches, and data theft. Cybersecurity professionals may work with government agencies to protect military communications or with private corporations to safeguard financial and customer data. For example, healthcare organisations require these experts to secure sensitive patient information, while large retailers depend on cybersecurity professionals to protect customer credit card details.
As industries continue to digitise, the threat of cyber intrusions has grown significantly. Consequently, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has surged. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for information security analysts is expected to grow by 32% from 2022 to 2032, far exceeding the 3% average growth.
Why is Cybersecurity Important?
As society becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the frequency and sophistication of cybercrimes have risen. A prominent example is ransomware, where malicious actors lock an organisation’s data until demands are met—usually involving a hefty payment. These types of attacks have disrupted sectors such as finance, healthcare, and education, resulting in severe data leaks and operational delays.
In industries like healthcare, the consequences of a cyberattack can be devastating. Data breaches can compromise critical patient records, jeopardising not only the privacy but potentially the safety of individuals. For businesses, the costs of cyberattacks go beyond financial loss—they can lead to reputational damage and loss of customer trust.
Cybersecurity remains crucial in detecting, preventing, and responding to these threats. Professionals in the field continuously analyze breaches and study the behaviour of malicious actors to defend our most sensitive information.
How to Get into Cybersecurity
Breaking into cybersecurity requires a combination of education, hands-on experience, and continuous learning. Here’s how you can start:
- Degree Options: A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, or information technology can provide the foundational skills needed for the field. Many universities now offer specialised cybersecurity programmes that cover areas such as ethical hacking, digital forensics, and network defence. For those already holding a related degree, pursuing a master’s in cybersecurity can open doors to higher-level positions.
- Certifications: Earning industry-recognised certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) can boost your credibility and improve job prospects.
- Practical Experience: Cybersecurity professionals need hands-on experience to build their skill set. Internships, boot camps, and labs are great ways to practice identifying vulnerabilities, building security frameworks, and responding to cyber threats.
- Continual Learning: Cybersecurity is an evolving field. Staying updated with the latest trends, software, and tools is critical. Online courses, webinars, and conferences are excellent resources to continue learning throughout your career.
Career Paths in Cybersecurity
1. Cybersecurity Engineer
Education Needed: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or a related field like information security or information technology (IT)
Career Overview: Cybersecurity engineers assess an organisation’s security needs, assisting with establishing standards and best practices. These professionals design, implement and maintain secure solutions to protect an organisation’s data, networks and systems against cyberattacks, hackers and other threats. They conduct tests to identify vulnerabilities in networks and systems, respond to security breaches and ensure all defences are up to date.
2. Information Security Analyst
Education Needed: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or a related field like information security or IT
Career Overview: Information security analysts protect an organisation’s computer networks, systems and databases from cyberattacks, data breaches and other threats. These professionals monitor information networks and computer infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities in digital security systems and secure sensitive information and data.
3. Information Security Manager
Education Needed: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or a related field like information security or IT
Career Overview: Cybersecurity managers are responsible for securing an organization’s computer networks and systems and protecting organisations from cyberattacks, hackers, viruses, malware and other threats.
These professionals carry out security measures, update current security systems and conduct regular audits to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. Information security managers train and supervise staff and collaborate with operations managers on their organisation’s security strategy.
4. Information Technology Support Technician
Education Needed: Associate degree or postsecondary training; bachelor’s degree preferred for some positions
Career Overview: Information technology support technicians provide in-person and remote technical support to clients who need help setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting computer software and hardware problems. These professionals serve as the primary point of contact when a problem arises.
5. Network Engineer
Education Needed: A bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field
Career Overview: A network engineer sets up and maintains networks within an organisation or between organisations. These professionals maintain and improve the efficiency of current computer networks, which typically include wide area networks, local area networks, intranet and extranet. They may also design and implement new network solutions.
Network engineers troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve hardware, software and other issues that arise in networks and systems.
6. Systems Administrator
Education Needed: A bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, IT systems management or a related field
Career Overview: System administrators offer technical support services focused on servers and computer systems. These professionals are often the first point of contact within IT departments when technical issues arise. They ensure an organisation’s computer systems are functioning smoothly.
If you’re passionate about technology and problem-solving, a career in cybersecurity could be a fulfilling and impactful choice. With the right education, certifications, and practical experience, you can play a vital role in defending against digital threats and securing sensitive information across various industries.
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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet
Choosing Between Data Science and Computer Science Engineering Degrees
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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