With the rising threat of data breaches and online hacking, there is a growing demand of professionals who can foil such malicious attacks and keep the computers as well as networks secure and uncompromised. A career in computer security, or cyber security also known as information security under certain situations is thus one good bet in the current scenario. You will understand how to become an expert cyber security professional in the following paragraphs.

The integrity and well-functioning of networks and computing devices such as data servers, computers, or laptops is of great importance as we are continuously sharing information and resources, some of which is critical and private. There are countless threats to your data, and device as at any given point of time, a number of miscreants are trying to take control of your life through malware, hacks, spywares and other malicious piece of programs intended to disrupt the normal flow of life. Hackers, as they are commonly known throughout the world have a sole objective; to disrupt normalcy and bring chaos. Ensuring that they do not succeed in their goals is of prime importance these days and that’s why the world needs a breed of intelligent cyber security professionals, better named as information security engineers, who protect against any such malicious attack.

As a computer security engineer, you will have the opportunity to foresee the emerging threats and identify the most formidable solution against cyber security vulnerabilities. Besides, with the increasing demand for computer experts with each passing day in the corporate world, you can be assured of a secure long term career as well. Computer security is one among those lucrative jobs which is in high demand bundled with a decent package.

Before hunting for a career opportunity in this field, you need to analyze and prepare yourself accordingly.

How to Become a Computer Security Expert?

The first task is to research what are the basic needs to become a computer security expert. Then go through the job description and learn about the roles and responsibilities.  Most importantly, follow everything step-by-step for a better beginning in cyber security. Find out the best schools offering courses in this subject and get admission in it.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Computer Security Expert

As soon as you become an expert in this field, you get a wide range of options to choose from. A variety of openings can be found in the corporate world for a computer security expert, as irrespective of the industry, computers are used everywhere. Therefore, a security expert is definitely required.

The positions include network and computer systems administrators or information security analysts. The job of a network and computer systems administrator is to look after computer and network security and update security programs whenever required.

On the other hand, information security analyst plays a vital role in the development of security standard of the organization. The analyst also installs different software programs in order to keep all the information of the company safe which are stored in the computers. Monitoring computer networks for security purpose is again a significant role played by the analyst.

The job of a computer security expert is not as simple as it seems to be. One has to sit for long hours in front of computers to monitor computer networks and for various other tasks.

Career Requirements

Minimum qualification required for this position is a Bachelor’s degree in computer related field. One year of experience is the minimum requirement and it may vary from company to company.

Again, key skills also vary as per the requirement of the organization. The major skills required are analytical, written and verbal communication, problem-solving skills, must know how to use network security or other related software, industry tools knowledge is also an important requirement, such as network analyzers.

What you need to do is to find out the top schools offering courses in cyber security. Get a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, B.S. in Information Technology Management and Cyber Security or B.S. in Cyber security. Cover the most important topics and always participate in various projects organized.

Go for training and internships during or after the course and then look for jobs which are best suitable as per your interest and profile.

How to Excel at this Job?

The secret to excel in the field of security profession is to first develop all the computer knowledge and experience you can before giving a thought to start a career in computer security.

The best way is to first become the best computer professional that you can be and then look for opportunities in cyber security. It will certainly boost your self-confidence and will help to get the most suitable job with a lucrative package as per industry standards.

Computer security is an all-inclusive role that encompasses many other jobs such as network engineer, network administrator or system engineer amongst others. While getting a network engineer job is the right step forward, it won’t automatically make you a security professional. A network engineer job will certainly offer you the basic understanding required to get a foot inside the door in this industry. Information security industry is still growing and it certainly requires professionals who have their fundamentals right.

On an average, a security analyst gets $88,890 package which is definitely a lucrative one for beginners.