Information Technology Security Careers are hot right now! Four entry-level careers are growing and need more college graduates to fill them. They include security specialists, security analysts, incident responders, and penetration testers.
Visit our Information Technology (AOS) Program Associate In Occupational Studies Degree, if you plan for a career in information technology, the most important thing you can do now is to obtain an associate degree and conduct a job search. These information technology security careers are stable and provide competitive salaries and benefits.
Information Technology Security Explained
Cybersecurity refers to the technologies, processes, and people that work together to protect organizations from cyber attacks. These professionals have these typical responsibilities:
- Install and manage security software
- Search for vulnerabilities in digital systems
- Create protocols to protect organizations
- Create protocols to protect consumers
- Develop processes to protect information and data
To accomplish these goals, teams create multiple layers of protection across computers, networks, and sensitive data. As cyber criminals become more adept at hacking, security pros must work hard at finding ways to prevent malicious attacks of accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive data.
The number of data breaches has increased steadily from 2012 to 2023 from 3,335 incidents to more than 7,000. You can see that security specialists have their jobs cut out for them. There is a huge cybersecurity workforce gap in the U.S. that needs to be filled.
Security Specialists Play Key Roles
Security specialists play key roles in maintaining an organization’s automated security systems and employee identification databases. Their specialized services include:
- Protecting company information and data
- Ensuring the digital safety of end-users
- Assisting with training new employees
- Work with managers to form guidelines, policies, and network use
Industries that typically employ these specialists include aerospace, defense contracting, energy, financial services, government, higher education, technology, and utilities. It is common for these specialists to move into team leadership and cross-departmental communications as they grow in their skills and experience.
| “If you plan for a career in information technology security, the most important thing you can do now is to obtain an associate degree and conduct a job search.” |
A Security Analyst Performs Vital Functions
A security analyst also has a rewarding and challenging career in many different industries. These pros work to keep business intelligence from criminals who seek to modify, view, or destroy sensitive information and data. This person identifies and corrects flaws in existing security systems to develop new processes and technology.
Analysts also attempt to identify suspicious activities in databases, networks, servers, and other types of software. When a breach occurs, an analyst leads efforts to eliminate damages and prevent future attacks.
Security analysts generally need one to five years of job experience in systems administration and a college degree. Skilled analysts are often promoted to managers who help direct teams of analysts with day-to-day tasks. The top industries that employ these specialists include financial services, governments at various levels, healthcare, manufacturing, and nonprofit groups.
Incident Responders Investigate Breaches
An intriguing job you may find interesting is that of an incident responder. These specialists use digital forensics to investigate security problems. Their typical responsibilities include:
- Assessing an organization’s IT system for risks
- Performing automation testing
- Conducting system analysis
- Identifying system threats
- Reacting to breaches and potential breaches
This position requires the ability to communicate well with people in different departments and a sharp eye for detail. Responders must make extensive searches and write comprehensive reports of their findings for management.
This position generally requires an associate or bachelor’s degree and several years of experience in IT security or cyber forensics. These specialists also need a working knowledge of networking or system administration to coordinate with other team members. They work in many industries, especially in aerospace, finance, nonprofit, and tech.
Penetration Testers Identify Existing Issues
A job similar to that of an incident responder is that of a penetration tester. This professional identifies existing security issues within an organization’s information infrastructure. This person is also known as a pen tester, ethical hacker, and security consultant. This position is one of the more trendy jobs in IT security. These are their typical job duties:
- Perform wireless assessments of wifi systems
- Perform physical assessments of hardware and software
- Work with social engineering tests
- Examine phishing assessments for end-users within a company
Entry-level positions require an associate degree and one or more years of experience in network administration, network engineering, or systems administration. With more experience and training, pen testers may move up into IT managers or systems architects. Many companies are looking for these skilled workers to secure data and improve their systems. Contact us today for more information,
For more information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website: https://iticollege.edu/disclosures/
