The internet wants you to consider a career in cybersecurity!
Cybercrime continues to grow and is the biggest threat facing organizations of all shapes and sizes. Meanwhile, thousands of cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled – join a workforce that is dedicated to fighting cybercriminals and making the world a better place!
Why has the demand for security professionals been on the rise? In 2014, Home Depot incurred a loss of $298 million after being breached, and Equifax’s stock recently plummeted $6 billion in the fallout of their hack. With the cost of these breaches being so severe, it is no mystery why companies have put a huge emphasis on protecting their digital assets with a workforce full of cybersecurity professionals.
Is a career in cybersecurity right for you? The recent spike in successful hacks against large corporations has prompted a giant hiring push of cybersecurity candidates, but there’s just one problem – the pool of qualified workers has not grown quickly enough to meet demand. In a study supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the shortage of CS workers will reach nearly 2 million by 2022, leaving the door wide open for current IT professionals, college students, and even adolescents to consider a career in CS.
Here are some career paths you can take:
Analyst – One of the most common jobs in cybersecurity is analysis, where you assess risk and provide advice about securing systems. If you like talking with people, figuring out what problems they are facing and how security can help them and researching solutions, this job is for you.
• Engineer – Another common job is engineering, where you design and build security solutions for systems and networks. If you enjoy building things and working on projects where you get to see your work come to life in a finished product, this job is for you.
• Manager – Somebody has to manage the employees and make sure tasks get completed. If you have the ability to translate between technical jargon and normal language, this job is for you.
• Coder – Software coding has been a standard technology job for many years, now requiring people who can design and build security software, like anti-virus, as well as securely build normal software to prevent bugs and vulnerabilities. If you like solving logic problems, this job is for you.
• Pen Tester – Penetration testing is the term for attempting to break software or a system to find and fix weaknesses. If you like taking things apart to see how they work and rebuilding them, this job is for you.
• Investigator – Digital forensics is growing along with the increase in cybercrime, requiring investigators who can gather and analyze evidence to solve crimes. If you like solving mysteries, this job is for you.
• Incident Responder – Organizations with requirements for strong security, like the military, often have people who actively monitor and fight attacks on their systems. If you like challenges where you compete against others to think two steps ahead, this job is for you.
