Cybersecurity, the term in itself sometimes tends to scare people away, some say it sounds a bit outdated but that is far from the truth. Cybersecurity is changing fast, as the digital ecosystem becomes more and more important for businesses around the world the need to identify and eliminate threats is bound to increase exponentially.
According to the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a Cybersecurity professional is primarily responsible for taking on the following responsibilities:
- Identify and eliminate malwares
- Secure data breaches
- Detect any suspicious activity
- Plan contingencies to cyber attacks
- Backup or restore databases and protocols
Cybersecurity involves tackling all domains related to information security and telecommunication frameworks and take over an extended range of protocols and measures and guidelines. The primary purpose of any Cybersecurity professional is to ensure the security and data servers and networks against outside hacks and data theft attempts. These attacks tend to steal valuable information from companies’ databases for countless reasons.
To be fair, if we are to draw an analogy to explain the role of Cybersecurity professionals in an organizational hierarchy we can say that Cybersecurity is the Rolls Royce of the IT framework. Big tech companies like Microsoft, Facebook, and Tesla countered more than 1,000 cyber-attacks per day and have a team of talented Cybersecurity professionals to counter these threats around the clock 24/7. Having a safe a secure data framework is essential is today’s digital ecosystem that is why the big or small organizations will never shy invest heavily when it comes to Cybersecurity.
Scope of Cybersecurity in today’s digital ecosystem:
There are many ways to adapt the Cybersecurity framework in today’s digital ecosystem. The digital infrastructure is changing and with it the need to prevent clever attacks increasing as well. For example, someone could hack into your company data server and threaten to delete all information if you don’t pay them a certain amount of money. Or it’s just a malicious code that plants itself and takes life on its own.
Things like this happened quite often, which makes the need for Cybersecurity professionals higher than ever and this number is most likely to increase exponentially. Because securing servers isn’t as simple as installing some high-tech software (that we usually do on our computers) but it is a practice consisting of a strict set of policies and procedures are created to manage and improve organizational Cybersecurity needs. These sets of rules are declared by many organizational collectively are keep changing over time adapting to new threats.
If our a fresh college graduate or have just completed a Cybersecurity Bootcamp, there are tons of entry-level cybersecurity positions waiting for you. Entry-level positions require the least amount of practical experience and usually just require the knowledge of up-to-date security protocols and day-to-day security operations.
Mid-level security engineers or managers are mainly made responsible for the management and implementation of security programs, program infrastructure and its management. They are also equipped with the necessary knowledge and skillset to manage any disaster (if there is one). Individuals with more than 5 years of experience in the Cybersecurity and Information Technology domain are more likely to be considered for such positions.
The top level positions such as, Chief Security Officer or Head of Information Security are considered the most senior roles when it comes to Cybersecurity. Their job roles is not only limited to securing and maintaining the existing digital framework but also decide on future investments and risks regarding Cybersecurity.
Areas of Cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity encompasses a wide range of roles and practice areas. Though there are countless way to break down different job roles according to area of expertise, but here are most prominent and in demand types you are most likely to encounter:
- Network Security: Usually involves security measures and protocols meant to protect organizational frameworks from outside hacks and infiltrations.
- Application Security: Includes the process of making applications and digital products more secure by finding and fixing any security loopholes that may compromise the application later on.
- Information Security: Most of times is also known as data security, the main goals in regards to information security is to keep data safe from outside hacks or even any unauthorized access from within the organization.
- Operational Security: OPSEC is basically a combination of a set of protocols and procedures that mainly involves the protection of public data acquired by many organizations
How to land a job in Cybersecurity:
There are many responsibilities that fall under the hat of a Cybersecurity professional or information security professionals, but the epicenter of their job revolves around the protection of data from the outside world. Over time more and more private information gets stored the need to hire Cybersecurity professionals increases exponentially.
It’s ok if you don’t have a college degree, to be honest, that is not the only key that unlocks the gateway towards a lucrative Cybersecurity career. There are many Cybersecurity Bootcamp programs out there that equip you with all the necessary skills and knowledge to get you going towards a lucrative career in Cybersecurity. Northeastern Illinois University’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp is a completely online and self-paced program that prepares you for valuable Cybersecurity certifications.
When it comes to Cybersecurity the industry demographics indicate the following job roles are in demand:
- Network Security Engineer
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Security Architect
- Cyber Security Manager
- Chief Information Security Officer
Is Cybersecurity the right career for you?
As Cybercriminals work round the clock to become more sophisticated and increase their frequency of attempts the need for more professionals to prevent these attacks from being successful is bound to increase at an even higher rate. Even in today’s market, there is a huge shortage of security engineers, and in the next 2 years it is estimated that around 4 million Cybersecurity job will go vacant. Considering these numbers there has never been a better time to enter into Cybersecurity, if you think you have what it takes to become the next cybersecurity expert, check out our Cybersecurity Bootcamp program.