WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A MASTER’S DEGREE IN CYBERSECURITY?
Cyber Security degrees are more popular than ever. Living in the digital age means hackers and cyber terrorists have endless opportunities to exploit individuals, government institutions, and even large companies.
To defend against cyber attacks and security breaches, top organizations are willing to pay a lot for cyber analysts who can protect their data and remove vulnerabilities.
As more and more information amasses in electronic databases, so to do cybercriminals find it more sophisticated and hard to detect ways to exploit that information. There is a lot of money and power in data, sometimes on an international scale, as world current events show us.
Cybercrime doesn’t care about privacy, personal rights or ownership — just information for gain and profit. In response to this criminal activity, there is a rapidly growing demand for specialized cybersecurity professionals who hold a master’s degree.
Online and traditional schools have heard the call and have created degree programs that specialize in information security.
As the field grows, so does the competition. One way to stand out from other cybersecurity experts graduating from associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs is to earn a master’s degree. You’ll be prepared to not only specialize and become an expert but to lead teams of professionals. Or, if academia is your calling, you can teach others to thwart cybercrime.
Put the increase in money that earning a master’s degree usually includes aside for now. Once you’ve earned a master’s degree you’ll enjoy the prestige and flexibility the degree offers.
Here are some of the perks of a master’s degree:
- You’ll have the opportunity to change careers. A master’s degree provides advanced education in a specific topic in a relatively short period of time. In the fast-changing and evolving world of technology, this is a big plus.
- You may find you’ll have more job opportunities. Not only more, but different sorts of opportunities, in a field that you’re genuinely interested in. In some cases, you may actually need a master’s degree to qualify, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- You’ll gain respect. Saying you have a master’s sounds better than saying you have a bachelor’s, right?
- Now we can talk about money. The BLS estimates you’ll earn between 18 and 26 percent more a year on average with a master’s degree. To look at actual numbers, an information security analyst with a bachelor’s degree earned a median annual wage of $85,000 while an information security analyst with a master’s degree earned $100,000 annually.
CYBERSECURITY MASTER’S DEGREE SPECIALTIES
When you begin a master’s program in cybersecurity, you may need to declare your area of specialty. After all, at the master’s level, you need to be keenly focused on a particular discipline. You will likely be entering the program with a wealth of experience on top of your educational background. It may even be that you will have a specific focus in mind before applying for grad school.
Some of the activities and areas of technology you might consider (or are already working in) include the following:
Computer Security:
This concentration focuses on security as it applies to enterprise-scale and web-based systems.
Network Security:
This covers topics such as firewalls, private networks, intrusion detection, and prevention, as well as overall security engineering.
Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance:
This concentration comprises a bigger-picture approach to enterprise-scale IT audit and regulatory compliance. A graduate with this specialty will know how to implement disaster recovery plans, maintain a business in the event of a security breach, and analyze business systems and their security.
IT Auditing:
Some programs focus solely on how to conduct an audit. This is a great choice for someone with a background in accounting.
If you’d like to specialize in forensics and investigations, the Department of Homeland Security offers internships, entry-level programs and even opportunities especially created for veterans.
In the private sector, you might lead a team specializing in network security, manage an IT department, or work as an independent consultant to public and private companies who need your skillset to help them protect sensitive data and fend off threats from cyber attacks.
ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY JOBS FOR MASTER’S DEGREE GRADUATES
A cybersecurity professional is responsible for protecting massive amounts of private data — from social security information to sensitive military information.
According to Cyberseek, a cybersecurity careers list would likely include the following masters in cybersecurity jobs:
Mid-level cybersecurity — jobs that directly influence business strategies
- A Vulnerability Test Manager
- A Cybersecurity Analyst
- A Cybersecurity Consultant/Manager
Advanced level cybersecurity — positions that require more accountability and responsibility than that of mid-level managers but do so by providing the advanced level manager with more freedom
- A Cybersecurity Manager
- A Cybersecurity Architect Manager
- A Cybersecurity Engineer
So, is cybersecurity a good career choice?
The answer is yes. Cybersecurity professionals can look forward to continued strong demand for their services.
CYBERSECURITY MANAGEMENT CAREER EXPECTATIONS
Professionals with cybersecurity management jobs oversee the cybersecurity management and policy of an organization, a business or a government entity.
Students who wish to pursue a career in cybersecurity management should begin to make career plans when beginning to decide on the school and the degree program that meets their needs.
Cybersecurity management jobs are generally offered to experienced cybersecurity professionals or by those who choose to attend a program dedicated to cybersecurity training for executives. Students interested in pursuing a cybersecurity management career can also follow a well-planned cybersecurity education pathway.
Cybersecurity professionals who have earned an advanced degree are recognized as possessing the right education/experience to fulfill the work requirements of mid and upper-level cybersecurity management and policy jobs.
Cybersecurity professionals also choose to earn industry certificates as a way to advance to their next career objective. Should this be of interest, begin by exploring industry certificate options. Here are two certificates to explore:
- The Information Systems Security Management Professional Certificate — a comprehensive certification regarding disaster recovery, ethics, forensics, compliance & security design.
- The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Certificate — this certificate requires applicants to have industry experience, the completion of this examination, and full compliance with a code of ethics set forth by industry leaders.
HOW MUCH DOES AN ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONAL/MANAGER EARN?
According to Payscale.com, advanced cybersecurity jobs (and salary levels) include:
- An Information Security Manager — $ 113,000
- An Information Security Engineer — $96,000
- A Cybersecurity Analyst — $76,000
- An Information Security Analyst — $76,000
Additionally, the federal government’s statisticians anticipate the field of cybersecurity to grow at a rate of 28% through the year 2026.
A growth rate of 28% far exceeds the average growth rate for all occupations combined. This elevated expected growth rate translates into an extremely strong cybersecurity job marketplace for now, and the foreseeable future.
