People seeking a career change into the cybersecurity field and computer scientists looking to specialize can also earn a graduate degree in IT security. In today’s era of ever-escalating cyber attacks, organizations need to have security measures in place that will protect their sensitive data and systems. The fact that more how to become a security specialist and more businesses are relying on cloud computing, technology, and remote work presents further reasons to prioritize security infrastructure. Indeed.com employment search, companies like Prudential, Stearns Bank, The Walt Disney Company, Grant Thornton, and Farmers Insurance Group are all in need of IT security specialists.
In fact, cybercrime is forecasted to amount to $10.5 trillion by 2025 — which is just a few short years away. Combine this upward growth in the industry with the zero percent unemployment rate, and the result is a white-hot job market that features six-figure salaries. Job opportunities for cybersecurity specialists can be found in both the public and private sectors. Potential employers include government agencies, military contractors, IT services companies, the armed forces, professional services firms, financial institutions and cybersecurity consulting firms. Cybersecurity professionals tend to get paid well for their skills, even at the entry level.
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At the present time, one of the few cybersecurity positions it tracks is also one of the most common — information security analyst. Cyber criminals target financial institutions, businesses of all sizes, government agencies and military organizations across the globe. They have the power to inflict significant damage through interruption of service, intellectual property theft, network viruses, data mining, financial theft and theft of sensitive customer data.
- Cyber criminals target financial institutions, businesses of all sizes, government agencies and military organizations across the globe.
- These specialists apply programming languages and ingenuity to create solutions for complex issues.
- As of May 2017, the average annual salary for the category of professionals that includes cybersecurity specialists was $99,690, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
- While having good soft skills is valuable, it is always a good idea to stay updated with any type of additional education, training, or certifications.
- In fact, the highest average salaries for IT employees are in the defense, aerospace, PR, communications, advertising, medical, pharmaceutical, biotech, military, and homeland security industries.
In terms of experience, your salary’s size is also directly proportional to how much experience you have. Don’t expect regular nine-to-five working hours as a cybersecurity specialist. Attacks can happen at any time of day or night, and criminals always hope to catch the people defending the information they want off guard. Learn more about the responsibilities, duties, and daily tasks of security specialists and how they make a difference in their companies. Security specialists use the skills developed in their degree programs when they implement and modify software, and conduct deep computer system analysis.
Are You Ready to Launch a Cybersecurity Specialist Career?
In that case, it is no wonder that companies are investing in cybersecurity like never before. If you’re planning to become one, you should first learn exactly what type of a job this is, in what ways you can advance your career, and how you can get your foot in the computer security industry door. The problem is that every new technology brings with it new vulnerabilities and, inevitably, a new wave of cybercriminals prepared to exploit them. It’s the role of cybersecurity specialists to stop cyberattacks from causing irreparable damage to a company or even better, find vulnerabilities before the hackers do.
