There was a time when ‘information security’ honestly meant keeping the file cabinets locked, but today there is so much more to it. Thanks to computers, and the internet, anyone can have access to virtually anything in a matter of seconds. You have so many people wandering around in the wild with capable wireless devices, that you never know what you might be dealing with or who will have the knowledge to get into your system. It can be a bit problematic, as you already know, which is why information technology school has had to step up their game.

What Happened to Information Security?

There are several pieces of data that absolutely need to be protected in the IT world, for example, you have credit card information, names, addresses, phone numbers, and all manner of information that could potentially hurt you or your clients if it were released into the world. Let’s say that hypothetically, there happened to be a website out there that was dedicated to helping married individuals find intimate encounters. Let’s say that it was a subscription website that stored credit card information, names, addresses, and everything that we mentioned previously. It would be quite awful and unfortunately, if it were breached, and all of the information leaked into the public domain. The same goes for financial institutions; account numbers are bought and sold all the time on what you would know as the ‘dark web’. While it might not be your information being sold, you can imagine how clients and customers would feel if this occurred.

A good real-world example would be the Sony hack that occurred a few years ago, where the system was not only breached but credit card information was stolen. This led to a bolstering of security at Sony and some serious discussions into what information security should be all about.

It’s Not All About Prevention

Up until now, information security has been all about prevention. The guards were at the gate, but what happens if someone is already inside? The truth is that we’re still learning about 2017. Hackers are getting smarter, and techniques are getting more sophisticated, which means detection must be key. We need to know when hackers are inside the system, and we need to know how to stop them, which is going to be an important subject in information technology school, without a doubt. This is not the only thing that will be changing, cloud security is about to take the forefront.

The Cloud Expands

A few years ago, reliance on the cloud might have seemed absurd but it’s maturing, it’s becoming more stable, and it’s definitely becoming more secure. The idea of keeping files off-site is very appealing to many businesses as they may not necessarily like the idea of purchasing their own, highly expensive hardware to store data. You can’t blame them, but it also means that cloud companies need to step up their game. Companies like Dropbox and Microsoft, for example, are definitely going to have their hands full in the future!

The cloud is going to be just like any other system; full of information that absolutely cannot be leaked to the public. Not only would leaks be detrimental to the customer, but they would also be extremely detrimental to the company; you don’t want to see the results of a lawsuit that stems from that, entire companies have fallen as a result.

As you can see, information technology is crucial and will help to train the next generation of cybersecurity experts. The only thing is that in 2017, the field is constantly changing, and while you’re going to learn the basics in school, once you get into the field, things may change. To exist in this industry you need to be more than ready to adapt to change, and you need to stand ready to defend corporate networks day in and day out. You will be the gatekeeper, is it the career you want? If so, call us today or fill out your online form; you might have found your calling.

 

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