Top 3 Reasons Why Cybersecurity Careers are the Future
Did you know that estimated cyber-crime damages will cost the world almost $6 trillion annually by 2021? “If cybercrime was an economy, it would be the third largest in the world, after the US and China. That’s the scale at which it’s exponentially growing.” A remarkable observation was made at the CLOUDSEC 2021, one of the industry’s biggest cybersecurity events hosted by Trend Micro Incorporated. Due to the constant architectural innovations made by enterprises, there exists a larger risk of data breaches and information loss (source).
With widespread digital transformation, industries are now even more vulnerable to malicious cyberattacks such as phishing, malware, and more. These cyber-attacks aim at accessing, using, and then modifying or deleting confidential or sensitive data or information causing huge amounts of loss to people and businesses. For instance, a cyberattack against a power plant could lead to a city-wide blackout or if it targeted at a bank, millions could be lost. To sum up, this is why cybersecurity careers have suddenly gained in popularity.
Why Enterprises Invest in Cybersecurity
Tighter security controls and appropriate levels of visibility across different security layers for endpoint, network, email, or cloud are needed. This is where the need for a highly robust cybersecurity system arises to ensure that enterprise infrastructure becomes more resilient to digital attacks. Cybersecurity is designed to protect data, finances, and intellectual property and is constantly evolving. Based on the opinions of industry insiders, the development in AI will lead to a rise in attempted cyber-attacks.
To counter-attack this kind of cyber warfare, white hat hackers or cyber professionals are in demand. If you enjoy a challenge and a dynamic working environment, this career is for you. According to The US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Information Security Analyst’s Outlook, cybersecurity jobs are among the fastest-growing career areas nationally. The BLS predicts cybersecurity jobs will grow 31% through 2029, over seven times faster than the national average job growth of 4%.
Why Cybersecurity Careers are a Good Choice
1. Exponential growth
With the fast-paced growth, cybersecurity experts can scale up with rich financial gains. A cyber security specialist can earn an average base pay of US$83,516 per year in the United States. Professionals can also easily negotiate their desired compensation. Due to the lack of technically skilled cybersecurity professionals, demand for cybersecurity professionals far outnumbers the supply. Hence, the rate of unemployment is minimal to zero and it is much easier to find a job in this field.
2. Cybersecurity careers are always in demand
Cybersecurity career growth is projected to rise exponentially in the future. Moreover, cybersecurity specialists are in demand for their analytic mindset, precision, effective communication and problem-solving traits. These individuals can choose to specialize in different areas including secure network administration, secure systems administration, cloud security or IT. Some other popular options are ethical hacking, information defence, information assurance, defence engineering, social engineering, penetration testing, risk managers and network protection.
Hence, organizations are now placing a high-level priority on developing secure, scalable digital infrastructures. Application Development Security and Cloud Security are two of the fastest-growing skill areas in cybersecurity, with projected 5-year growth of 164% and 115%, respectively. Each of these specializations require a specific skill set. Emeritus provides specialized cybersecurity certification programs that help gain in-demand cybersecurity skills and advance your career prospects.
3. Variety in roles
You can choose to be a Network Security Engineer, Information Security Analyst, Forensics Expert, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or Penetration Tester. Additionally, roles of Vulnerability Assessor, Cybersecurity Manager or Security Architect are also up for grabs. While many aspirants start their cybersecurity careers as entry-level system administrators, certifications can help them grow. This will help gain expertise of innovative core security technologies and methodologies that organizations use to protect their assets.
With the world depending so much on technology now, it’s the right time to switch to cybersecurity careers. An investment in innovative and leading-edge education and training solutions will propel your career graph in the right direction. .
By Preethi Jathanna
