What Does A Career In Cyber Security Entail And How To Become One

By Author: Himanshu Pise
Total Articles: 4
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Are you one of those people to whom computers and the world of the internet fascinates? Or do the nooks and corners of internet security keep coming back to your dream?
If your answer is YES, then choosing a career in cybersecurity sounds right for you. With the surge of technological advancements, internet vulnerabilities are also increasing. The increase in technology shares a directly proportional relation with internet security threats.
To make the internet a safe place more and more career options in cybersecurity are increasing. Today you can find a cybersecurity course from the Diploma level. Bachelors, masters even few people are pursuing a doctorate in cybersecurity.
This growth shows that more people are valuing cybersecurity as a career option. But why are cyberattacks so threatening to us?
How Much Does a Cyber Attack Cost us?
If we keep a daily check on the news, we must have seen one or two cyber attacks occur at least once a week. A cyber attack can range from attacking a standalone PC to a whole organization.
A few examples of cyber attacks just in 2021 are-
● Cyberattack ...
... on Australian broadcaster Channel nice on March 28th.
● Harris Federation suffered a ransomware attack in March 2021.
● One cyber insurance firm was under a ransomware attack in March 2021.
● Mass Cyberattack on Microsoft Exchange, etc.
Now, if we look at the economic aspect of any cyber attack we are talking in millions and billions. Statistics claim that we lose around $2.9 million every minute due to a cyber attack.
Companies with high-security systems pay around $25 per minute to an internet security breach. According to reports, an estimated amount of $10.5 trillion will be spent on cybercrime. Malware attacks have leaped from 358% in 2019 to 435% in 2020. Globally 1,00,000 malicious websites are being faced by different companies and organizations.
Due to COVID, supply chains have an adverse effect due to cybersecurity attacks. Supply chain attacks have increased by 420% during the pandemic period.
We can get an estimate of how much data we have stored online and how vulnerable they are. The risk of a cyber-attack remains constant through any day of any month.
To decrease these cyberattacks, experts with adequate knowledge are a must. More and more people are being encouraged to take IT courses, cybersecurity courses.
What Does a Career in Cybersecurity Look like?
You are searching for some content on the internet, and suddenly you found sitting from India you cannot access the content. The reason being geo-restrictions. Some websites only allow the content to be viewed in specific countries.
Now if you know cybersecurity tactics, you will install a residential proxy. It will help you overcome geographical restrictions by giving you access to any country.
Cybersecurity professionals are present virtually everywhere. Their work can range from being an ethical hacker to decrypting codes in the Defense Ministry.
After having a cybersecurity degree, the range of choosing a career becomes diverse. One can become-
● Security Analysts
● Security Engineer
● Security Consultant
● Security Administrator
● Cryptanalyst
● Information Security Officer
● Penetration tester
● Security Crime Investigator/Forensic cyber experts
● Security Software Developer, etc.
How to Become One?
There is no linear way of having a career in cybersecurity. One can start as early as a college degree and follow the steps. Or if someone with another degree wants to enter they can get by doing certification courses. IT professionals can opt for a career by doing a diploma or certificate course too.
Some of the good certification courses available are-
● The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
● Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
● Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
● Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), etc.
Even those who have an educational degree in cybersecurity can opt for any of the above certification courses. A good certification from an authorized place gives a boost to your resume.
Those who want to indulge in the educational background can start with a Bachelor's degree. Most of the Universities provide a four-year degree course in Computer Science or IT. This leads to the foundation. Most bachelor's degrees provide a specialization subject. Students can take cybersecurity as their specialization subject.
A bachelor's degree can give decent job opportunities. They can be associate-level job options. To increase the chances of a good job, most people pursue a master's degree in a more specialized subject.
Though there are no set skills required to have a cybersecurity career, these skill sets might help you. Having these skills will make you more empowered in the working field.
● Having a good problem-solving attitude. Cybersecurity experts require a fast and quick-paced problem-solving attitude. This is because a few-second cyber attack can cause havoc.
● Technical knowledge. This is where education and certification courses come into play.
● Diverse knowledge of security platforms.
● Basic knowledge of Computer Forensics or Digital Forensics. This knowledge will give you a brief idea about the IT laws and regulations.
● A good understanding of both white hat and black hat hacking.
● A clear understanding of confidentiality and its importance.
● Well, organize and have good communication skills. Without good communication skills, many people cannot move forward even with educational degrees.
The job opportunities of a cybersecurity professional are most in IT companies. Big companies always have the fear of cyber and ransomware attacks. The banking sector is the next sector where there is a great surge of cybersecurity professionals. Police and Forensic departments. Government Defense job and R & D departments.
Cybersecurity professionals have a lucrative salary in almost every country. The average salary in the US is around $75,000-120,000. The average salary in the UK is around £50,000-80,000. The average salary in India is around ₹ 608,750- ₹ 650,000.