The Growing Demand for Cyber Security Professionals: Why Pursuing a Cyber Security Degree is a Smart Career Move

IT security professionals are in high demand across healthcare, finance, and government industries. Many organizations compete to hire talented individuals with cybersecurity technical skills. Many unfilled cybersecurity jobs take longer, partially because of a shortage of qualified talent. This talent shortage has created a frenzy in the job market, attracting many college graduates and job seekers. Organizations like Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple continue to expand their cybersecurity internships to develop more talent faster. 

This blog post will explore the increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals in today’s digital landscape. We’ll discuss how digital transformation impacts cybersecurity professionals, how you can advance in the cybersecurity field, and how pursuing a cyber security degree can provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to secure a rewarding career.

See why a cybersecurity degree is a smart career move. Explore the high-demand and rewarding opportunities in this IT field below!

Cybersecurity Professionals Critical for Securing Digital Transformation

Digital transformations are becoming more common as organizations try to monetize their big data and enable next-generation, Internet-based technologies to solve their challenges. As data is collected, shared, and stored in enormous volumes, every enterprise becomes vulnerable to digital attacks.

Organizations today and in the future will continue transforming their businesses to meet client needs, drive innovation, and lower operating costs. Cybersecurity professionals are essential for protecting any organization’s rapid transformation strategy. Many of these transformations incorporate hybrid-cloud and multi-cloud strategies that need cyber security employees with specialized skills to protect the organization’s data regardless of location. 

Protecting organizational information and data locale continues to present challenges for organizations’ transformation strategies. Most legacy data resides in the organization’s data center or SaaS platform. Service providers like Salesforce.com, Amazon.com, Microsoft, and other application platforms provide top security for clients if the data resides within their platform. Organizations opting to move their data to their cloud instance within Amazon, Google, and Amazon must increase their investment in adaptive security controls and human capital to ensure protection. 

Cybersecurity Career Advancement Opportunities

With a growing demand for cyber security professionals, unemployment rates are lower compared to other professions. And, within the field, there are ample opportunities for career advancement. Entry-level cybersecurity jobs, including a cybersecurity analyst, application security engineer, or incident responder, will have multiple opportunities to move up from their current role and into senior positions, including:

• Security Operations Center Manager 
• Incident Response Manager 
• Chief Information Security Officer
• Director of IT Security Operations 
• Director of Risk Management 

Cybersecurity Degree and Certifications Essential for Advancement

Many roles require a formal degree and multiple certifications. We encourage students to pursue a cyber security degree program and industry certifications, including:

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• Amazon Security Specialist 
• Microsoft Azure Security Specialist 

Certain degree programs offer both fundamental cybersecurity knowledge and industry certifications. CIAT’s online cyber security degree program does just that and has been awarded top-ranking status for two years running in Intelligent.com’s Best Cybersecurity Program review, highlighted as “Best for Industry Certifications.”

Effective Communication Necessary for Cybersecurity Professionals

Developing soft skills, like communication skills, will help cybersecurity engineers solve internal and external client issues much faster with less frustration on both sides. Often, external clients or end consumers might not have an extensive technical vocabulary for describing mobile, tablet, or desktop issues. Mastering interpersonal communication skills can help cyber security professionals bridge the technical knowledge gap, identify issues faster, and create effective solutions. 

Many cybersecurity engineers, managers, and directors also develop better methods of user communication to help drive faster adoption rates with newer technology. For example, cybersecurity and IT operations teams might build self-help tools and e-learning modules to help the user community understand new technology and security strategies better.

Effective communication can also open the door to professional development. Knowing how to communicate and manage relationships can better position you for leadership roles.

Average Salaries for Cyber Security Jobs

The cybersecurity career path provides attractive salaries, with entry-level IT administrators earning an average of $70,000 annually and senior cybersecurity analysts making up to $80,000. A senior security architect commands a salary of $150,000. Chief information security officers make between $180,000 to $250,000 annually. 

Knowledge for Today and in the Future

There has never been a better time to join the cybersecurity engineering community. With less than 1% unemployment and limitless career growth, cybersecurity jobs are both challenging and rewarding. Getting a formal education is optional to enter the area; however, having a degree and certifications will help with a broader range of employment opportunities and growth.

CIAT’s online cyber security degree helps future cybersecurity professionals develop the foundational knowledge necessary for launching a successful cybersecurity career. Book an appointment today with one of CIAT’s expert Admissions Advisors to discuss the pathways you can take to achieve your educational and career goals.