Cyber Security Course to Upgrade the IT Career

Why Cyber Security?

If you’re already working in IT, you might be wondering, “Why should I be worried, and why cyber security?” Although a career in computing is still a smart move with some job security, technology changes and therefore so do jobs. For example, businesses are moving to cloud computing in part to cut costs, and some of those costs are in the IT department, i.e. staff. That’s why smart IT folks look to the future to see what’s coming and prepare themselves for that. And what’s coming, with more job potential than any other IT field? Cybersecurity. 

In addition to a strong job market, cybersecurity is an appealing IT switch for another reason: salaries. It’s simple supply and demand. The supply of skilled cybersecurity professionals does not meet the demand, and that drives salaries up, up and up. A study by Indeed shows cybersecurity professionals making six-figure incomes in many parts of the U.S., and this infographic shows cybersecurity jobs paying up to $170,000 per year. 

Other less tangible reasons for choosing to transition into cybersecurity include doing important work and being constantly challenged, but the job growth and high pay are probably reasons enough. 

How to Transition into Cyber Security

So, once you’ve decided that yes, it’s time to future-proof your IT career by looking into cybersecurity, your next question might be, “How do I make the transition?” First, decide what area of cybersecurity to focus on. Although you might be drawn to the high salaries earned by a CISO, you probably won’t be able to choose Chief Information Security Officer right away, since that takes extensive skills and experience plus time working your way up the career ladder. But what kind of security interests you the most? Do you like the idea of risk assessment? Then perhaps you’d like a job as a Certified Ethical Hacker. Or maybe you’re more analytical or detail-oriented? Then a job as a Security Analyst or Auditor could be a good fit. Or if you’re already an engineer or software developer, you could choose to do that role specific to cybersecurity. 

On the other hand, you could make your choice based on the jobs with the highest demand. According to Indeed.com, the cybersecurity positions posted most often are: 

• IT Security Specialist
• Information Security Analyst
• Network Security Engineer
• Security Engineer
• Application Security Engineer

If you look back to the list of 20 job titles above, you’ll realize you have a lot of options! 

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Choose a Cyber Security Certification

Next, after you choose a focus, decide how you’ll get there. Some cyber security jobs require more education than others, with many requiring a bachelor’s degree and some a master’s. The bachelor’s degree does not necessarily have to be in cyber security, however, which is good because only a few U.S. colleges offer such a degree at this time (although that will likely change). A degree in another IT field is usually enough, such as information sciences, computer programming or systems analysis. If you have the degree and some IT experience, you’re off to a good start, and your next step is learning a particular type of cyber security through a certification. 

As a reflection of this booming industry and desperate need for a defense against cyberattacks, there are several types of certifications to choose from. In fact, Simplilearn offers 11 cyber security certifications that cover the gamut from appropriate for an entry-level job to a specialized cyber security role. Those certifications are briefly described below:  

COBIT 5 Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies COBIT 5 provides an end-to-end business perspective for IT governance and reflects the role of IT in creating value for enterprises. 
CompTIA Security+ 501 As a benchmark for best practices in IT security, this certification covers the essential principles for network security and risk management.
CND - Certified Network Defender course CND is a vendor-neutral, lab intensive, and skill-based network security certification training course based on the cybersecurity education structure by National Initiative of Cybersecurity Education(NICE).
CHFI - Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator Certification The CHFI training teaches students to investigate and prevent cyberattacks efficiently.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification CISSP is the gold standard in cyber security. This certification trains students to define all aspects of IT security, including architecture, design, management and controls. 
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification The CISA certification teaches students how to govern and control enterprise IT, as well as how to perform an effective security audit on any organization. 
CEH (V10) - Certified Ethical Hacker CEH certification teaches advanced concepts such as corporate espionage, viruses, and reverse engineering.
CISM - Certified Information Security Manager CISM is a key certification for IS professionals who manage, design, oversee and assess enterprise information security. 
CRISC - Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control This certification teaches students how to design, implement, monitor, and maintain IS controls for enterprises. It covers topics such as risk identification, assessment, response, and control monitoring. 
CCSK - Cloud Computing Security Knowledge Certification The CCSK certification teaches a comprehensive knowledge of cloud security fundamentals.
CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional CCSP by ISC2 is a globally acknowledged certification that represents the highest standard for cloud security.

For someone who has already been working in IT and who has enough experience and education to have a solid foundation upon which to build, a cyber security certification is a sure-fire way to transition into the cyber security field. And as a way to future-proof your career against the inevitable and constant changes that will happen in technology, cyber security can help you update your IT career and stay relevant, even in today’s uncertain world of work.