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And while it’s important to have fluency in programming languages and experience with UNIX-, Linux-, and Windows-based systems, it’s even more important to have a bachelor’s degree to be qualified for this job. The actual job description of a security specialist can be hard to pin down, because these specialists may have varying duties based on their actual position.
Having an understanding of routing and switching as well as network security protocols is very helpful for how to become a security specialists, as it will let them see the footprint a hacker makes when accessing resources. A number of cyber attacks like Distributed Denial of Service Attacks and Man in the Middle attacks also target the network level, so a strong understanding of network security best practices will aid in preventing these kinds of issues.
Security Administrator Job Description
That often means that continuing education is required — both in the form of formal, industry-recognized certifications — and in the form of informal learning and tracking industry developments. Malcolm Shore Cybersecurity Consultant Daniel Lachance Consultant, Trainer, Author, Editor at Lachance IT Consulting Inc. Jungwoo Ryoo Chancellor & CAO, Penn State DuBois | Making Connections and Bringing Clarity! Director of Security Operations at Fastly | Cyber Security Evangelist | Speaker Adam Shostack Leading expert in threat modeling/secure design. Training • Consulting • Expert Witness Sam Sehgal Jerod Brennen I help clients protect their businesses by building effective, efficient, forward-thinking cybersecurity programs.
- Monali is passionate about implementing creative solutions, building community, advocating for mental health, empowering women, and educating youth.
- Salaries will of course vary depending on your experience, qualifications, the organisation and sector plus whether you are employed on a full-time, short-term Contractor or Consultant basis.
- Cybersecurity specialists perform similar work to information security specialists but may focus more on hardware.
- New digital attack vectors and mechanisms are popping up all of the time, and a cybersecurity specialist is tasked with figuring out what kinds of skills and experience are required to protect against those emerging threats.
- It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
In terms of skills, experience, and general mindset, a cybersecurity specialist needs to be like a Swiss Army knife of the digital world. A person in this role needs to be multi-disciplinary and adaptable to a wide variety of situations. In addition, security specialists are also responsible for making sure that other co-workers are kept up-to-date on security best practices, which means they might take on the role of a trainer or an advisor. A simple way of thinking about a cybersecurity specialist is as someone who keeps tabs on a company’s or organization’s security while also helping other employees and teammates stay current on best practices. Read our informational guide to learn about the degrees, certifications, and professional experiences needed to become a security specialist.
Skills Required for a Cybersecurity Specialist
Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. Strong growth in digital health services and telehealth will also increase data security risks for healthcare providers. More of these analysts are likely to be needed to safeguard patients’ personal information and data. Information security analysts may advance to become chief security officers or another type of computer and information systems manager.
- Cyberattacks have grown in frequency, and these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or creating problems for computer networks.
- CyberDegrees.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable.
- Linux Server Administration, which lets you scan networks large and small and make use of the system services.
- According to CyberSeek’s breakdown of the cybersecurity specialist position, 63% of employers require a bachelor’s degree and 20% require a master’s degree.
- Cybersecurity organizations are a great way for those in the industry to keep up with current happenings, collaborate with like-minded individuals and more.
- Moraine Valley’s program prepares graduates to become employed as IT security specialists, firewall and VPN specialists, and data assurance specialists.
However, some workers enter the occupation with a high school diploma and relevant industry training and certifications. As a new cybersecurity graduate and employee, you probably already know that your knowledge and skills are in extremely high demand. The career outlook for people in your profession is predicted to grow 31% between 2019 and 2029; this is much higher than the growth rates for all other occupations. The actual employment of information cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow by 56% during the same time period. With more and more companies turning to the cloud to store data, cyber thieves will try to attack these accounts.
IT Security Specialist Education Requirements
Security specialists should begin by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity or a related area, such as computer science. According to Payscale, major companies paying security specialists well above the national average include the Boeing Company, the Walt Disney Company, and American Express Co. Aspiring cybersecurity specialists may also find ample opportunities in companies like CACI International Inc, American Electric Power, and IBM. Employers often require prospective cybersecurity specialists to have prior job experience, potentially through entry-level positions with information security teams or internships completed as part of college studies. In addition to an encyclopedic knowledge of computers, network infrastructures, and breaches (which you’ll learn about while earning your IT degree), certifications can also help set you apart from other IT security specialists.
How long does IT take to become an information security specialist?
How long does it take to become an IT security specialist? Most entry-level IT security jobs require at least a bachelor's degree in cyber security, information assurance, or a related field of study; these programs typically take 4 years to complete as a full-time student.
All state projections data are available at Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. University Headquarters is your #1 resource for finding top rated colleges, scholarships, potential salaries and helping you find the right career. Our goal is to become one of the best online resources helping students navigate through the higher education process. A good example of the need for cybersecurity experts is one particular massive cyber-attack on the U.S.’ government agencies. As of early 2021, one of these attacks was still being investigated for its breadth and severity. Even worse, the targeted government agencies and intelligence communities believe that Russian hackers carried out the attack.
We are searching for a talented computer security specialist to safeguard our company data. You will be responsible for analyzing our IT specifications and overall security risk, implementing appropriate security measures, and responding to security breaches. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is a trusted source of information about countless job categories and includes listings packed with data about the future job outlook for a wide variety of occupations.