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Cybersecurity Career Guide – How to Become a Cyber Warrior

How to Become a Cyber Warrior – Cybersecurity Career Guide

Every day we hear that another company, organization, or government agency has had a data breach. Big names like Facebook, Nike, LinkedIn, and even the Department of Homeland Security have been victims of data breaches. According to the University of San Diego, “the annual cost of cyber crime around the globe will soon reach $6 trillion annually.”

Cyber-attacks destroy companies, wreck lives, and threaten our national defense. The attacks continue to increase in both quantity and ferocity. Rick Kam, founder of IDExperts, says “these attacks come from an unseen enemy that continuously changes their tactics.” The hackers use everything from brute-force attacks to fraud to break into databases, steal personal identities, and invade personal computers worldwide, every day.

If you have an active Security Clearance, it is like having your golden ticket for many government agencies and private sector companies; especially government contractors.

Cybersecurity, an In-Demand Career

That’s why Cybersecurity is an “in-demand” career. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the rising demand for cybersecurity professionals (Cyber Warriors) exceeds nearly every other career field.

There are thousands of unfilled cybersecurity jobs within the U.S. government alone:

• Department of Homeland Security
• USAJobs.Gov

If you have an active Security Clearance, it is like having your golden ticket for many government agencies and private sector companies; especially government contractors.

As a Cyber Warrior, your job could entail developing software, launching white hat attacks to check vulnerability, analyzing and responding to cyber attacks, helping customers deal with a data breach, or helping to remove the viruses that invade people’s personal computers.

Cyber Warriors can choose to focus on any of the many different areas within the Cybersecurity field. One of the largest areas of specialization is Protection and Defense. This category of cybersecurity includes specialties such as:

• Cyber Defense Analysis
• Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support
• Incident Response (Customer Service and Damage Control)
• Vulnerability Assessment (White Hat Hacking)

Other areas of cybersecurity expertise include:

• Cyber Administration
• Investigation and Forensics
• Cyber Analysis
• Cyber Operations
• Oversight and Governance.

Cybersecurity Salary

According to the University of San Diego, those working in the cybersecurity industry can expect to earn a significantly higher salary. For instance, top-level chief information security officers can command up to $420,000 annually. Most people starting out can expect to make a median salary between $75,000 and $100,000 a year, depending on the position. For exampl,e an Information Security Crime Investigator/Forensics Expert starts around the $75,000 level, which increases with experience and certifications.

Cybersecurity Job Requirements

So, what education and/or training is required to get started? According to the Department of Labor, Information Security Analysts usually need a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information assurance, programming, or a related field. However, many firms hire entry level cybersecurity “customer service specialists” with AS degrees and provide the training needed to earn the proper certifications – such as DB2, COBOL, and/or SQL.

According to USAJobs, the minimum requirement for candidates for government Cybersecurity/IT analyst jobs is 3 years of general experience in administrative or technical work. This requirement could be filled by your military experience and your veteran status can count for up to 10 points in the federal hiring process.

No matter where you start, at some point you will need to have specialized Cybersecurity credentials like CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional, CAP – Certified Authorization Professional, or SSCP – Systems Security Certified Practitioner, if you want to be competitive for the best jobs and 6-figure salaries. The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) is a great resource for certification and education opportunities for veterans.