How the Cybersecurity Job Industry is Changing Rapidly
On July 31, 2017, the internet was swarmed with news of a cyberattack on HBO. A group of hackers not only got into the channel’s servers, they leaked the script of the upcoming episode of Game of Thrones, the channel’s most successful show. They went ahead and leaked two episodes of the show, and are threatening to leak the season finale. The incident is fairly recent, and the episode hasn’t been released yet officially, so it is difficult to come up with an accurate estimate of the losses the network is going to face due to the leak. However, irreparable damage has been done to the network due to the cyberattack, and there is no doubt in our mind that HBO is in the market for a talented team of cybersecurity specialists that can help them recover lost data and prevent such an event from happening in the future.
Before we delve further into our main topic — the cybersecurity job industry — let us first take a look at some of the major cyberattacks that have happened this year:
In May 2017, it was reported that hackers stole cyberweapons from the NSA, and used those weapons to perform a series of attacks across the globe. Over 45,000 attacks were reported in the news, and the hackers demanded bitcoin from the victims before letting them retrieve their files.
In June 2017, a number of firms in Ukraine, Britain, and Spain had to be shut down due to the Petya Cyberattack. The attack crippled airports, banks, and other government institutes.
In July 2017, hundreds of thousands of computers across the EU and the UK were affected by ransomware in the notorious WannaCry attack. This included computers in the private as well as the public sector across several nations.
If you look at the sheer scale of these attacks, and the fact that hackers are now holding sensitive data to ransom, you will understand the increased importance of cybersecurity and the challenges professionals are facing in this domain.
What Impact Does All of This Have On Cybersecurity?
Hackers are not just attacking systems to mess with organizations or to leak information anymore, they are holding said information hostage, and are asking for ransom. This means that a cybersecurity professional should not only know how to prevent such attacks, they should also know how to retrieve stolen data in case an attack happens. It is fair to say that the cybersecurity industry has changed forever.
It is not all doom and gloom though. The cyber security job industry is on the rise. Currently, there are one million open cybersecurity jobs worldwide, and not enough cybersecurity professionals to fill them. It is projected that by 2019, there will be six million jobs in the cybersecurity industry, and more than 1.5 million will remain vacant due to a shortage of certified and trained professionals. This goes to show that the industry is full of potential, and that there are more than enough positions for the taking if you have the right skillset.
What Kind of Skills Do I Need To Become A Cybersecurity Professional?
You will need to have basic IT knowledge and specialization in any IT related field such as coding, networking, or operating systems. However, to switch to a full time, professional career in cybersecurity, you will need CISSP certification.
How Much Does A Cybersecurity Job Pay?
Cybersecurity professionals make over $116,000 annually. Those who work as contractors report $55–57 per hour.
What Is CISSP Certification?
CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. The course covers the following eight security domains:
- Software Development Security
- Security Operations
- Security Engineering
- Security Assessment and Testing
- Security and Risk Management
- Identity and Access Management
- Communication and Network Security
- Asset Security
The course also prepares you to understand all the technological and human factors that have an impact on an organization’s cybersecurity. With this certification, you will acquire the skills to protect any organization’s digital assets, and will be able to apply to any cybersecurity job in your area.
What Else Do I Need To Do To Pursue A Career In Cybersecurity?
Even though the certification will get you through the shortlisting process, you will find yourself sitting in that interview chair, answering tough questions by your potential employers. Therefore, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with Big Data, and to learn how to see patterns when analyzing a chunk of data. It would also be a good idea to join cybersecurity groups on reddit and similar platforms, and to contribute to open source projects in this domain.
Have any questions about the cybersecurity job industry? Want to learn more about the course? Feel free to leave a comment and we will get back to you right away.
