Cyber Security is one of the biggest and fastest-growing industries in our technological era.
One of the greatest advantages of studying Cyber Security is its wide-ranging career prospects and the flexibility of being able to work online from virtually anywhere in the world. All you need is a computer and access to a Wi-Fi signal. Cyber Security careers are high in demand, with an expected 35% growth from 2021 to 2031, according to the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics (Sept. 2021). This means that there is still room for vast growth prospects in the technology community, which also contributes significantly to the further expansion of new jobs in the occupation industry.
Cyber Security, as a whole, is a brain-stimulating job. It challenges you to apply the knowledge you have gained through your studies – this relates to how you can protect data from unwanted intruders and how to keep them from reaching important data files and operations. Protection is a key factor. Your presence in the online world makes you vulnerable to scammers and being hacked at any time. There are many ways of being scammed, including Phishing, DDoS, and ClickJacking which are only three such examples of different online scams operating out there. Many people do not understand these terms, but they can (and should) certainly learn about them in order to prevent these damaging actions from ever taking place.
White Hat Hackers is a term for the ‘good’ hackers who work behind the scenes to test the online security and firewall of businesses and look for weak points within their online servers and networks. The mere act of the criminal activity of scammers and hackers has created a whole new job title and career opportunity within the world of Information Technology and Computers. Cyber security has grown so quickly and vastly that most countries are searching eagerly for these behind-the-scenes CyberHeroes to help fight online attacks that have taken place, and continue to take place, on such a wide scale around the world. For instance, Interpol and CyberPatrol are two major platforms that serve as anti-hacking units, thus helping to keep companies, governments, and even the general public, who may simply wish to surf the online web, safe and secure.
So why study Cyber Security?
1. The benefit of having a constant door open for employment opportunities.
2. Being able to protect the world as a CyberHero.
3. The opportunity to do something worthwhile, especially if you are passionate about IT.
4. The opportunity to gain experience which contributes to career development and growth.
Cyber Security provides so many avenues to those who wish to study this field. In addition to challenging you on a mental level, you will never be bored. New advancements in technology are creating new jobs in this field and the next generation will have so much more to work with and explore.
So, the question remains – would you like to leave a digital footprint and be an asset in the field of Cyber Security?
Explore the world of Cyber Security and so much more with MSC Education Online. Click https://mscedonline.co.za/programmes/it-computers/ to explore our world of Information Technology today.
About the Author:
Chase Zimmerman is currently completing his FET Certificate: Information Technology (Technical Support) qualification with MSC Education Online. He is a young and passionate IT student who holds a part-time position with a leading pharmaceutical company.
Bibliography:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm (visited January 18, 2023)
IT Governance (United Kingdom) (n.d.). Phishing. [online] Available at: https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/phishing#:~:text=Phishing%20works%20by%20sending%20messages. [Accessed 19 Feb.2023].
Default. (n.d.). What Is a DDoS Attack and How Does It Work | Cybersecurity | CompTIA. [online] Available at: https://www.comptia.org/content/guides/what-is-a-ddos-attack-how-it-works#:~:text=DDoS%20is%20short%20for%20distributed [Accessed 19 Feb. 2023].
Learning Center. (n.d.). What is Clickjacking | Attack Example | X-Frame-Options Pros &ConsImperva. [online]Availableat:https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/clickjacking/#:~:text=Clickjacking%20is%20an%20attack%20that. [Accessed 19 Feb.2023].
Hurst, A. (2021). Creating and rolling out an effective cyber security strategy. [online] Information Age. Available at: https://www.information-age.com/creating-rolling-out-effective-cyber-security-strategy-17843/. [Accessed 20 Feb, 2023].
