Careers in Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity consists of the technologies, processes and practices that keep networks, devices, programs and data safe from attack or damage. This includes everything from firewalls, malware protection and antivirus software to phishing attacks, email security solutions and more.
Keeping up with the latest technology and updating security practices can be challenging. This is especially true for smaller organizations that don’t have the resources to support an in-house IT team.
Today, the world’s attack surface is a vast and growing collection of computers and networks with countless potential entry points for cyber criminals. This new landscape has created a gap in the defenses of large and small businesses alike.
Threats are becoming more systematic and organized. They range from advocacy groups and political hacktivists to criminals and government agencies who seek to steal information, disrupt business operations or gain an unfair advantage.
The most common types of cybersecurity threats include malware, ransomware and botnets. These threats can cause data theft, system crashes and disruptions of services. Other attacks include distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, DNS poisoning and eavesdropping.
Cybersecurity professionals use their technical and people-oriented skills to ensure a company’s systems are secure. They often work with other information technology specialists to identify gaps in security.
A successful career in cyber security requires you to be able to think strategically and solve problems quickly, Kamyck says. That may mean working with other information technology specialists or analyzing data to spot vulnerabilities, she explained.