Is cybersecurity a good career option?

The threats to national and personal security that emerge in recent years are connected to many spheres of human activity. One of the most prominent of them is without a doubt the virtual world. Because of that, the choice of career in cybersecurity seems to offer a prospective specialist almost infinite possibilities of professional self-realization, as well as promising earnings. Why this career can be seen as worth pursuing?

Cybersecurity — why is it so vital right now?

The career in cybersecurity is certainly one of the most gratifying and high-paying options available now on the job market. The substantial increase in security breaches and data loss we can observe in the recent years mean that a good cybersecurity specialist is worth their weight in gold, metaphorically speaking.

The very foundation of the personal and national security nowadays is without any doubt connected to the protection of data. This wide area starts on a personal level, including issues such as medical data or financial information, and continues up to the highest security threats (military and civilian ones alike). In the meantime, cyberattacks and cybercrime is invariably on the rise, and the coming years will surely bring more problems in this venue.

Cybersecurity career — a variety of options

Getting a degree and pursuing a career in cybersecurity might be a good idea also because this choice is one of the most versatile career paths. A specialist in cybersecurity will easily find a job corresponding perfectly to the time (s)he wants to invest in working and to the level of responsibility (s)he is comfortable with. It is worth noting that such jobs are generally perceived as very challenging and stressful, which is true in one sense. Still, working as a data protection specialist for a small startup cannot be compared in terms of the stress workload with the security job in the military.

The graduates of programs in cybersecurity will be able to further their careers in relatively self-paced ways as data technicians, systems administrators or web developers. People who enjoy the constant onset of challenges and unpredictability may look closer into the penetration testing or IT audits for big companies. The highest responsibility level comes from working as a chief security engineer or cybersecurity architect, and many other similar roles, especially in the governmental job positions.

Who should think about a career in cybersecurity?

Traditionally, the positions in cybersecurity were seen as interesting mainly by people with a great degree of fascination with topics such as IT, hacking or programming. The relevant education available at the beginning of an Internet era was mostly informal, partially based on personal experiments with cybersecurity. Nowadays, the situation on the education market is very different — basically everyone can decide to further their education in this area, using official means and getting an approved degree.

However, it does not mean that the career in cybersecurity will be an optimal choice for every interested person. The main personality traits needed for a success in this area will be an ability to work efficiently under pressure and to deal with stress on the ongoing basis. The specialist in cybersecurity needs to be able to react quickly to threats and alerts, at the same time staying in an unbroken contact with the source of their creativity. Only similar approach will guarantee the desired results.