The modern business world has progressed dramatically from its predecessors. The rate and speed of growth are immense, and no one had imagined such an advanced and forward world in history. Since the inception of the internet, human lives got equipped with convenience, automation, and possibilities. Similarly, modern businesses have integrated excellent connectivity, technology, and online presence to improve business practices. However, the newer world faces newer challenges, and such challenges require more unique ways to tackle them. With an ever-increasing online presence, there are more significant threats of cyber-attacks and hacks that can compromise the entire system and database within a blink of an eye.
Such attacks are highly dangerous for any business as it can affect their operations, but any compromise to customers’ data and privacy can lead to loss of trust or even shutting down of business. As the rewards are high to disrupt any industry online, hackers and attackers have a higher motivation to attack even smaller companies. Therefore, businesses are investing heavily in the domain of cyber-security practices and taking professionals on board relevantly. Cybersecurity is about preventing cyber-attacks and managing and minimizing the impact of any breach or attack if it happens. Therefore, cybersecurity is in high demand, and there are lesser professionals available to fill the gap.
Comparatively, it is still a new or emerging field to study; academia is trying to provide relevant degree and certification programs. However, technically, a professional can get a job in this field without a degree too. So the burning question is, is a cyber security degree worth it? Well, there are enough valid arguments from both sides, but typically yes, there are benefits to it. Primarily, you can better understand the subject in the first go, rather than trial and error and learning by doing.
Similarly, it can prove a fast track option if your background is not from IT, MIS, or programming. However, it is clear enough to say that cyber-security is the future field and has tremendous demand. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why it is beneficial to pursue a cybersecurity career.
- Uprising Job Market in Cybersecurity:
If you are a high school pass out or someone who is thinking of going back to school to pursue a new career path, cybersecurity is one of the great options to consider. No matter how passionate you are about your field of study, it would help if you had confidence that you will have jobs available when you graduate, as no one wants to spend time and money towards a dead end. However, in the case of cybersecurity, the issue is the opposite. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment-related to information security will increase by 28% through 2026, almost double than the average growth in employment in other occupations. Therefore, there is a ripe market available for anyone pursuing a career in Cybersecurity and related disciplines.
- Every Industry Needs Cybersecurity Professionals:
The growth we discussed above is not limited to the technology sector or any particular field. In today’s world, almost every company is exposed and counted on the internet’s digital world; hence, they need information security services. It means that cybersecurity professionals can work in various industries and fields. Practically, they can work in any sector, from academia to law to insurance to e-commerce.
However, the BLS has mentioned two areas where the need for such services will be the highest, i.e., Banking and Financial Institutions. They need to increase their information security capabilities due to users’ financial data’s high-risk nature. Similarly, the healthcare sector will also strive for better security measures in the coming times to secure patients’ data privacy and health records.
- Big Money Potential:
After getting to know about the future demand of Cybersecurity professionals, it doesn’t surprise that there is massive potential for earning big money. Employers are willing to invest a significant amount of money in salaries to qualified and competent candidates. According to BLS, the median salary for a cybersecurity analyst in 2018 was $98,350 annually. It is more than double from the national average across all occupations. Therefore, if you are interested in earning big money and stay in demand, you should consider cybersecurity.
- More Room for Career Advancement:
We have seen and explored enough about the upside of pursuing cybersecurity as a profession. However, it itches to another question that what is the potential of career advancement and job promotions?
Similar to more education, experience also improves the chances of job promotions. The goal for a beginner can be to obtain a position of entry-level cybersecurity professional. As the experience increases, there is a massive advancement pathway available in this field. As per the analysis of many recruitment agencies, employers prefer to hire candidates with 3 to 5 years of experience. Since there is a significant demand for cybersecurity professionals, experienced professionals get an extra edge in their domains. Therefore, the key is to get the degree sooner and attain more than three years of experience on your resume, and you’ll be suitable for thousands of opportunities available.
- Shortage of Quality Professionals:
By now, we are well aware of the number of jobs available for cybersecurity professionals, but interestingly, there is a massive shortage of qualified professionals in the field. The number of available professionals is lesser than the current demand. According to a report by ISC, there is an approximate shortage of 2.93 million professionals globally. In the future, there will be some factors because of which the demand for cybersecurity professionals will vary. But apparently, the need for the profession is going up, and the influx of professionals is far lesser; hence the available talent will enjoy great demand. Indeed, it is excellent news for someone who is just starting in the field.
Conclusion:
Cybersecurity is one of the most thriving emerging technologies other than artificial intelligence, block chain, data sciences, and digital marketing. Such fields require technical competence, leadership and management skills, and the ability to solve the digital world’s problems. Therefore, they provide greater rewards in employment demand, higher salaries, and job promotions. Hence, one must need to pick the field, stay committed to it, build the expertise, gain experience, and get in the line to enjoy the perks of hard work and determination.
