Getting Into the Cybersecurity Field: The Jobs, Experience & Degree Needs

Most people use a computer or laptop for work, have at least one smartphone, and perhaps a second phone for work. Others also own a tablet for entertainment, a video game system, a smart TV, and even a classic desktop computer.

In the modern world, the chances are high that you need cybersecurity because you use internet-attached devices for dozens of personal and professional projects every day. And of course, you are not alone. Restaurants, airports, banks, hospitals, and countless other organizations use computers to manage employees, customers, the flow of money, and daily tasks. Because computers and the internet are so integral to our daily, modern lives, cybersecurity is vital.

Since cybersecurity keeps the world functioning, it has progressed into a booming industry in the 21st century. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in this sector is projected to grow 32% between 2016 and 2026. There are dozens of jobs in this field, ranging from entry level to expert.

As computer hardware and software changes, new challenges will arise in the field of cybersecurity, so if you want a solid career path, a steady salary, and opportunities to grow and learn new things all the time, getting into cybersecurity is a fantastic choice.

Cybersecurity involves protecting information on computers, the internet, and on various other software, hardware, and firmware applications.

Many people associate cybersecurity with understanding, preventing, detecting, and responding to cyberattacks that can steal personal, corporate, or government information. The damage from cybercrime is reported to be around $6 trillion over the next few years, which means there will be a huge demand for cybersecurity specialists. About 3.5 million jobs in this field are projected to be created by 2021.

In the early days of the internet, the term “cybersecurity” did not mean anything. but as hackers refined their tools and attacks over the years — choosing larger targets and not just individuals — cybersecurity evolved alongside cyberattacks.

After the Target breach in 2013 and the Experian breach in 2017, the U.S. federal government pushed for better legal management of these problems, starting by forming the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) in 2017. Corporations and nonprofits are also working hard to better understand cybercrime and how to prevent it.

Predictions on cybersecurity trends show certain areas will increasingly need attention from experts.

• Targeted phishing attacks: These are some of the most pervasive cybersecurity threats in the modern world. One report found that phishing attacks were up 297% between 2018 and 2019.
  
  Seemingly legitimate emails have been very lucrative for hackers and scammers, who work hard to craft a good email that looks like a legitimate business connection. These are harder for email servers to filter out. Attacks come from messaging services and social media too.
  
  
• Managed and unmanaged devices: Third-platform technologies like cloud storage, mobile devices, and social media mean that hackers do not have to push through a specific network perimeter. Since many people have laptops, tablets, and phones for both work and personal use, with information stored in a range of locations, it is much easier for hackers to find one poorly protected device and crack into an entire system by accessing a little information.
  
  With more devices like smart speakers, smart thermometers, and other “internet of things” devices becoming increasingly common, protecting individual devices in a diverse network will become paramount.
  
  
• Tracking shadow IT inventory: Through 2020, according to analysts, a third of successful cyberattacks will exploit shadow IT resources, which are software programs and applications running on users’ devices that are not approved by enterprise IT through the company. Cybersecurity will include monitoring devices for user access rights and device permissions.
  
  
• Automation and artificial intelligence: Programs that automate cybersecurity monitoring will become increasingly common, so there will be a need to monitor and manage cybersecurity. Ensuring these programs are secure will be huge. Otherwise, hackers will use automated processes to break into systems.
  
  
• Cryptojacking: This process allows cybercriminals to use smart device and computer resources to mine for virtual coins. In 2018, there was a steep rise in this type of attack. More cybersecurity experts need to be aware of this waste of system resources by searching for unauthorized software.

Other cyberthreats to watch out for include:

• Advanced persistent threats (APTs), which is when an unauthorized user infiltrates a network and stays there for a long time.
• Malware, which is a broad term for software designed to gain access to a computer or damage it without the knowledge of the owner.
• Social engineering, which is when a person convinces employees to give away information by pretending to be someone else or someone important.

There are a lot of aspects to cybersecurity, ranging from different types of networks and devices to understanding the latest threats and how to detect them. You can become an expert quickly in nearly any of these areas.

Pursuing a career in cybersecurity may seem complicated, but since the field is so new, there are several avenues onto this path.

You can get some entry-level cybersecurity positions without a degree or any experience in computer IT or programming. Most jobs will require a bachelor’s degree for entry-level work, with a focus on computer science, but these two categories are still fairly broad.

Having a certification and a few years of experience in a computer-based field like IT, programming, data analysis, or network management can help you transition into a cybersecurity specialty. In addition, there are two sets of skills — hard and soft skills — that you can acquire to help you transition into working for this field.

Hard skills: These are academic skills you learned during college or certification training. They are also skills you honed while gaining related experience at work. These include:

• IT fundamentals including system administration and web applications
• Coding, especially Python and PHP
• Architecture for systems, mostly Apple/Mac, Linux, and Windows
• Certifications like CompTIA Security+ and Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• Security clearance through the federal government
  
  

Soft skills: Policy creation and enforcement are two of the top tasks performed by cybersecurity teams. This means understanding internal systems and how to ensure everyone follows vital safety rules within the organization.

You need to be a strong researcher to understand industry best practices and standards, with some customer service or people-focused skills to communicate these practices. You also need to be able to collaborate with users, your team, external businesses or vendors, and your employer.

Once you’ve beefed up your information technology, coding, and information security skills, you are ready to look into cybersecurity jobs and determine what area works best for your interests and goals. Here are the top jobs in cybersecurity:

• Information security analyst: Your main job requirement is to protect sensitive information. This requires finding and understanding weak spots in systems, creating plans to stop and prevent attacks, develop policies to protect against attacks, ensure compliance of these policies, monitor data access throughout the network, and train other employees. The starting salary is around $49,000, but you can quickly get to $103,000 or more.
  
  
• Lead software security engineer: This position means you analyze and assess the risk to the system or data, identify vulnerabilities before they become a problem, and develop software to protect and defend the system. This is one of the highest-paying cybersecurity jobs. The average annual salary is over $230,000.
  
  
• Chief information security officer (CISO): This person is in charge of developing, implementing, and maintaining security processes to protect companies from threats and minimize future risk. The average annual salary is around $192,000.
  
  
• Security architect: This role analyzes threats to security and recommends solutions to protect information and data. You might help develop hardware or software security protocols and programs, oversee and educate staff on these policies, and install software like VPNs or firewalls. The starting salary is around $81,000, which can rise to almost $150,000.
  
  
• Information security crime investigator/forensics expert: Often a member of crime-fighting task forces, including police forces, this role identifies flaws that may have been left open for attackers and tries to find traces of who may have committed the crime. The annual salary starts around $55,000 and rises to almost $120,000.
  
  

You will need to maintain curiosity, a strong work ethic, and focus to work in cybersecurity, but there are several ways to find a career in this field. You can get a degree in computer science, you can work your way into IT and then eventually shift into cybersecurity, or you can get certified in necessary areas.

Strong cybersecurity is vital to both individual and organizational safety. With so many new jobs being created in this field, this is one of the largest growing industries in the country. Check out Joblist’s database of cybersecurity gigs, which has more listings added everyday!