Today, when the world is increasingly moving into virtual reality, the problem of protecting personal and commercial information is particularly acute. This is why cybersecurity professionals are among the most in-demand in the job market.
In the 20th century, people were afraid of the threat of a nuclear war, but then no one could have imagined that a true war would unfold not on earth at all, but in cyberspace, and that the main value would not be the conquest of new territories, but information. After all, it is information that today is the key to all other benefits: access to billions of bank accounts, obtaining confidential information about people, hacking the security systems of protected objects (prisons, museums, jewelry stores) – and this list can be continued for a long time, because today the criminal world has top notch hackers. And to counter them, even more qualified professionals are required.
A cybersecurity specialist can be jokingly called a fighter of the invisible front, because the security of both individual citizens and the country as a whole depends on him. Judge for yourself, today almost every device is connected to the Internet, be it a mobile phone, a TV or even a refrigerator (there are some), and all of them are often also connected to each other using the same phone. And if you do not protect the transmitted information, then it can easily fall into unkind hands. So a cybersecurity specialist today is a policeman, a soldier, and a bodyguard, on whose shoulders lies a huge responsibility. Yes, he does not see his enemy in the face, but because of this, his profession becomes even more difficult and honorable.
Who is Cyber Security Specialist?
The main task of a cybersecurity specialist is to ensure the protection of information of an enterprise, country or citizen. Professionals of this profile work in banks and other financial institutions, in all areas of defense (from the army and internal affairs agencies to defense enterprises), government agencies, medicine, transport organizations (for example, it is very important to prevent disruption in the operation of military and civil dispatch services aviation), utilities and other areas.
Their job is to ensure the smooth functioning of enterprise information security software, to set up and maintain the operation of the hardware – in simple terms, they must be well versed in the design and operation of computers and computer networks. Also, each specialist should be able to write their own software specific to this particular organization, and, if necessary, create an antivirus.
A good cybersecurity specialist will always be able to repel any hacker attack on the object entrusted to him, and a very good specialist will never allow this attack by blocking all access channels in advance.
Specializations
As in any professional field, cybersecurity has its own specializations.
Operational security is about ensuring the protection of data assets and their processing.
Network security is the protection of enterprise computers from infection by viruses and malware.
Application security. In this case, specialists do not work with computer programs, but with applications for mobile devices.
Disaster recovery and business continuity. This, one might say, is a “rapid response group” that provides assistance when a cyberattack has already been committed. That is, it is necessary to be able to quickly stop further information leakage or destroy the virus, as well as restore damaged data and ensure the further operation of the system.
Information Security. The specialist of this profile is responsible for the inviolability of the data entrusted to him. This is perhaps the most responsible and stressful job.
Benefits of being a Cyber Security Specialist
It is difficult to overestimate the merits of the profession of a cybersecurity specialist, one of the most in demand at the present time. But let’s list all the advantages of this work.
Demand
There is a high demand for cybersecurity specialists, since in the digital age, information protection is the main activity of any kind. In addition, professionals can find work not only in Russia, but also abroad, since the need for specialists of this profile is equally high everywhere.
High salary
Cybersecurity is one of the highest paying fields today.
Career prospects
An employee of this profile will be appreciated and promoted, regardless of whether he has a “blat” in the leadership circles, because without him the organization simply cannot survive.
Disadvantages of Being a Cyber Security Specialist
No matter how valuable a medal is, it always has a downside. The work of a cybersecurity specialist also has its drawbacks.
Huge responsibility
As a rule, the life and well-being of a huge number of people, and even the population of the whole country, literally depends on who is responsible for protecting the organization’s data (especially when it comes to government enterprises, the army or large banks).
The job requires full dedication
A person has very little free time, sometimes you have to work overtime. Hackers hunting for information are not tied to a work schedule and most often attack during non-working hours, so a security specialist can be called to work at any time of the day, on weekends and during vacations.
Sedentary indoor work
It goes without saying that sitting at a computer for eight or even more hours a day does not have the best effect on human health. Over time, he develops scoliosis, vision deteriorates, and all kinds of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract appear due to the inability to eat regularly and properly on the job. And this is not to mention chronic overwork and neurosis due to constant stress.
Where to study
To become a cybersecurity specialist, you can enter almost any university in the country – most universities today have corresponding departments. This is especially true of technical universities, where mathematics, programming, automation and, in fact, computer security are intensively studied. In addition, even someone whose profession is in no way related to this industry can become a cybersecurity specialist by taking one of the many face-to-face or online courses. In a word, there would be a desire, and even more than enough opportunities.
Courses
Today, online education is almost on a par with education in higher and secondary specialized educational institutions, and some courses are quoted even higher, because at the end of them an international certificate is issued, giving the right to work in any country in the world. In the network you can find a huge number of online courses of both Russian and international level. The term of study is from several months to two years. In addition, many universities offer full-time information security courses on their basis with the issuance of an appropriate document.
Demand
Any organization – be it a small private enterprise or a giant government structure – seeks to protect their data from cyber attacks. Schools, libraries, shops, hospitals, banks, the army – it is difficult to list all the areas in which computers connected to the Internet are used today, and therefore they all need professionals who will ensure their full and, most importantly, safe work. That’s why a cybersecurity specialist will never be out of a job.
Employment and career
It is unlikely that a specialist in the field of cybersecurity will have problems with employment. As for a career, the situation here is the same as everywhere else: from an ordinary IT specialist, you can rise to the head of a department and a department. However, to tell the truth, most often computer scientists are people so passionate about their work that they usually do not think about such mundane things as promotion, it is important for them to be able to do what they love, and ensuring complete security of the information entrusted to them is for them a matter of honor.
Prospects for the future
Cybersecurity is called the profession of the future. Despite the fact that it is already incredibly in demand today, the demand for it continues to grow as the world becomes more and more virtual. All monetary transactions, education, communication, services and much more are gradually moving to an online format. Technologies are developing: every day new gadgets and programs appear to automate our lives even more. In short, as long as computers and the Internet exist, cybersecurity specialists will be among the most sought after.