Every day there are millions of cyber security threats, and even while this Ted Talk may persuade companies to hire hackers, most people are trying to prevent them from bringing down servers and other more serious threats. It’s not just the anonymous hackers. There are all sorts of network attacks from all points of the globe. It’s a network administrators job to prevent these types of attacks from disrupting databases, unveiling information or just modifying important code that makes a business run properly. Now more than ever, network administrators are in demand because of the heightened awareness of cyber threats. Even those working in the business now are going back to school and enrolling in a network admin degree online program in order to solve major cybersecurity threats that are just now being revealed. If you think you have what it takes to work in cybersecurity, these steps offer insight on the right program, courses, degree and careers for those who have a knack for network security.
1. Getting Started
If you are new to this field, cyber security involves the prevention of compromised data, computer viruses, network outages and other network attack that may be minor or extremely dangerous. The digital age has granted a lot of access to information. As more mobile users go online, digital applications and Cloud storage are two of the biggest challenges for cyber security. If you want to study cyber security, it’s important to check out a number of cyber security terms like active attack, critical infrastructure, digital forensics, enterprise risk management, intrusion detection, phishing, malware, whitelist, blacklist and software assurance. Hacker prevention is also a major part of cyber security, so it’s best if you have knowledge of programming and information technology before going into this field.
2. Degrees for Cybersecurity
Most degree programs for cyber security are going to be in information technology under network administration. Becoming a network administrator is the best degree that you can get to work with cyber security. Colleges offer programs for computer networks and security, network administration, information technology and information systems management that all deal with cyber security. Bachelor’s and graduate degrees provide basic and advanced training, but you can also learn about modern network attacks, how to protect Cloud-based applications and much more. The key is to get certified in a defense IT security job, such as CompTIA Security+ for information systems.
3. Careers in Cybersecurity
There are multiple avenues to go if you want to work in network security and prevent cyber attacks. Corporations offer multiple jobs for network administrators. You can also join the military or FBI. However the most important factor is that you understand the technology and work on gaining a better understanding of the cutting edge information technology that can compromise data and affect security. One way to do that is to master mobile security and SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language).
As you become a cyber security pro, you have to become good at finding the anomalies and needles in the hay that could cause a threat to your company or client or just people in general. Network administrators also have to manage networks efficiently and provide security updates. The best part is that this field is rapidly growing and salaries are some of the top in information technology.
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