Why You Might Want to Get Into Cybersecurity
Even before all these companies decided to go mostly remote during the COVID pandemic, most businesses have been using technology more and more as the years go by. In fact, brick and mortar companies are being replaced by online businesses that do not have a real home address, but instead are operating entirely through the internet. With technology becoming more prevalent in society, people may look into getting a cybersecurity degree.
As these companies proceed with operating entirely online, one thing they all must have, right along with the brick-and-mortar companies, is a top-notch cybersecurity division that not only keeps their information and data safe, but their customers’ as well.
Cybersecurity will be a safety measure that all companies need going forward into the future. Because of this, pursuing a cybersecurity degree could allow you to have a solid career in an industry that is just taking form. As cybercrime continues to evolve, the need for combating it will only grow. For instance, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), just one job you can have with a cybersecurity degree is projected to grow 37% from 2012 to 2022. This growth is much more than average when looking at other careers in other industries.
But before committing to a degree in this field, it is important to know exactly what it is all about.
What Exactly is Cybersecurity?
A study performed over a year ago at the University of Maryland detailed that hackers, people who perform cyber-attacks, are constantly trying to attack other people’s computers and information in the U.S. to the tune of one successful attempt every 39 seconds. At the end of the year, this results in basically one in every three Americans getting their information and data hacked into. It could be something as discouraging as having your social media compromised to something more serious such as having all of your money drained from your bank accounts and having your identity stolen. The worst part is that all companies you do business with have access to your credit card data and other pertinent information. If their systems are hacked, your information could be compromised without you ever knowing about it.
Cybersecurity can prevent this from happening. These educated individuals in this field can protect networks, whole systems, software, and other programs from being digitally victimized as the hackers try to access sensitive information. People in the cybersecurity industry may work for small or large companies in a variety of online security positions in an effort to protect this data from these evil culprits operating behind keyboards from thousands of miles away.
As the attackers become more creative, there is a constant need for skillful cybersecurity professionals.
How to Get a Cybersecurity Degree Online
Since you are going to be operating almost entirely through the internet in this career field, it makes perfect sense to pursue this degree completely online.
First off, a cybersecurity degree is essentially going to be a Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity. The length of time it will take to get a BS degree from scratch is more or less going to be four years. However, if you have already taken some basic courses in college, it could be completed in half the time.
Schools that offer cybersecurity degrees entirely online are prevalent if you do enough searching. However, why choose just any college? According to the Cyber Degrees website, the top five online schools that provide a cybersecurity degree are:
- Maryville University of Saint Louis
- University of North Dakota
- Davenport University
- Saint Leo University
- Baker College
As you proceed further in your education of cybersecurity, it would be a great idea to acquire certain certifications in this field such as:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Systems Administration and Network Security (SANS)
And if you would like to take it even further and let your employers know you are one of the best in the field, a Master of Science in Cybersecurity would be pretty impressive.
Jobs in the Cybersecurity Industry
Once you have attained your degree and certificates in cybersecurity, you will have a plethora of possible job options to choose from. A few of the more popular cybersecurity positions and their average salaries according to Cyber Seek, a company that analyzes the cybersecurity job market, are:
- Cybersecurity Engineer ($99,000)
- Cybersecurity Analyst ($96,000)
- Cybersecurity Consultant ($91,000)
- Cybersecurity Manager/Administrator ($103,000)
- Systems Engineer ($99,000)
- Network Engineer/Architect ($112,690)
- Software Developer/Engineer ($107,510)
- Vulnerability Analyst/Penetration Tester ($104,000)
Are You Interested in Computers and Protecting Sensitive Information?
If this is a field that you feel you can be enthusiastic about, turn it into a career by investing your time into acquiring a cybersecurity degree online and see what the future holds! It is a worthwhile career as you will be protecting information and data from some of the most evil, faceless individuals currently walking the earth.
