After 12th What Degree you Should Pursue for Cyber Security Career

If you're looking for a fast-paced dynamic hands-on industry where you can have a real impact look no further than cybersecurity and guess what? There has never been a better time to get into the industry than now because the demand for those professionals is growing every single day and the salaries are reflecting that.

So let's look at some potential career paths and how you can get into the field working in cybersecurity.

CYBER SECURITY

Why you should choose Cyber Security.

So if you're looking for a role that you can be proud of yourself or that will keep you on your feet and if you're passionate about technology and problem solving this could be a great field for you as cyber threats are growing in their number and their complexity there is a huge demand for cybersecurity and salaries are reflecting that demand and that growth as well, have I convinced you? feel like I've convinced myself as well so let's look at some potential ways in which we can all get into cybersecurity.

There isn't one right path into cybersecurity which means that no matter what background you have you can do it however for the sake of understanding your skillsets and your starting point I would differentiate between the two potential starting points whether you have a technical background or whether you don't have a technical background if you do have a technical background you might have an advantage because it might be easier to get into some technical roles and you might also have a leg up in terms of experience that you might need for some of these cybersecurity roles.

However if you don't have a technical background don't be discouraged there are plenty of ways to get your foot in the door but to grow your career further down the line you will have to acquire more technical skills but the good news is that it's never too late to learn anything "I'm too old" or "I'm too late" are just excuses that people use when they're afraid of change and growth.

People come into the field of cybersecurity from a variety of skill sets and backgrounds and in fact that kind of different way of thinking might help you have an edge when it comes to your problem-solving.

Remember technology is all about solving problems and cybersecurity is a great example of it and since the field is relatively new there is no right or wrong career path into it as long as you can meet the job requirements.

You do NOT need a degree.

You don't need a degree, having one is good but not mandatory. Let me be straight here, if you are self taught and could demonstrate to me that you know your stuff I would hire you, the first thing I would do with you is set you up with an experienced guy as a mentor and on some training so you have something to back your knowledge too (and cover my behind for the auditors)… BUT and it’s a big one. You have to get passed HR.

I personally don’t have a very high opinion of HR when it comes to technology roles, there are a few exceptional individuals, but generally they don’t have much clue and just follow the bouncing ball.

I recommend you find a small IT business who does some networking and a little bit of security on the side, arrange a meeting with the guy in charge and convince him to give you a go as a casual (what that means is when they have work they pay you to do it, when they don’t have anything you’re on your own).

Every bit of work you can get - goes on your resume. Keep trying to get the next job and step up to more interesting roles.

COURSE / CERTIFICATE

As experience grows, many individuals decide to specialise in ‘dark arts’ roles that include security architecture, penetration testing, digital forensics, incident management and security/compliance auditing.

It goes without saying that specialist training and qualifications will be required for these careers. Good examples include Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) or GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN) certificates.

Here is a taste of the few Cyber Security courses you can try:

• Computer Ethics and Privacy
• Risk Analysis
• Cyber Law
• Ethical Hacking and Pen Testing
• Advanced Networking
• Computer Forensics
• Malware Reverse Engineering
• ISC (2) Certification Main Topics:
• Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM)
• Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA)
• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control

The top job titles in the field after completing the Cyber Security course:

• Security Engineer
• Information Security Analyst
• Security Architect
• Information Security Auditor
• Network Security Engineer

I hope you enjoyed the article. Is there anything that I missed? Comment below.