It is a fairly common question that people ask before they step into a prospective career field. While it may be easy to concede that a cybersecurity degree is comparatively difficult to obtain than others, whether it is truly ‘hard’ to make it a career choice is a question whose answer would vary from person to person. We will discuss is cybersecurity hard or not in this article over here.
Is Cybersecurity Hard?
In general, having a career in cybersecurity is considered to be somewhat challenging to some extent. However, the difficulty level depends on job specifics and on the duties and responsibilities you would be expected to adhere to as per the job description. Therefore, if you choose cybersecurity as a career path, it falls entirely on you to choose an employment opportunity that is as easy or difficult as you would like it to be.
Before exploring why cybersecurity might be considered more difficult than other careers, let us understand what cybersecurity truly entails.
What is Cyber Security?
Cyber Security can be defined as the practice of safeguarding electronic systems, computers, mobile phones, servers, networks, and user data from outsider attacks with malicious intent. Also called information technology security or electronic information security, cybersecurity is widely used in today’s world, relying heavily on technology for its smooth functioning. It can be divided into the following categories:
- Network security includes the securing of a computer system and/or network from unwanted intruders, malicious attacks, and malware.
- Application security means protecting software and devices free of intrusion. If an application falls prey to a malicious harm, the user data falls at risk of being disclosed to unwanted parties. Cybersecurity ensures that the application program is protected right during the time of its design, way before it is made available to users.
- Information security, as the name suggests, protects the user’s data and their privacy, while it is in transit as well as when it is stored in servers.
- Operational security comprises the processes and decisions that concern the handling and protection of data assets. A user’s permissions while accessing a data network and data storage are included in operational security.
Calamity recovery and business continuity involve an organization’s response to an incident that threatens the security of data and network resulting in the loss of operations and/or data. The policies falling under calamity recovery ensure the restoration of operations as planned so that the operating capacity before and after the incident is maintained on a similar level. Business continuity ensures that the resuming of operations is smooth even if there is a lack of certain resources. End-user education concerns the end-user, i.e., the general populace. With the prevalence of malware and viruses, any unsuspecting user might introduce a threat to a secure computer system or a mobile phone if they overlook following standard security practices. These include plugging in unfamiliar USB drives, deleting email attachments without opening them, and other practices for which awareness should be encouraged among users.
Why can Cyber Security be Hard?
If you look up whether cybersecurity is hard, you will get contrasting answers. Some would tell you to work hard and be determined, while others would list reasons why it is one of the most difficult career paths you can choose. But one needs to be aware of what is expected of them before committing to a prospective field. Here are some factors that would help you decide for yourself if cybersecurity is hard:
- Increased Job Responsibility. The more specialized your job is, the more responsibility falls on your head. While more responsibility means a greater salary incentive, it also translates to a heightened difficulty level. Since you might be responsible for a greater number of assets to protect, the difficulty increases in the form of management and supervision. Since larger and well-known systems are more prone to attacks than smaller and lesser-known systems, it would require more investment and would likely induce more stress.
- A Constant Learning Process. There are a lot of skills that you learn on the job but for those working in cybersecurity, that learning of skills and programs never ceases. There are always new threats to combat, new programs to be acquainted with, and new responsibilities to take up. Cybersecurity is a field that is continually changing so in contrast to positions where after a one-time learning process you may be eligible for advancement, in cybersecurity, learning is an unofficial part of your job description, essential if you want to keep your job.
- Increased Reliance on Technology. Our world is heavily reliant on technology and with the deployment of new technologies, like VoIP, Cloud, BYOD, the assets that a cybersecurity official has to keep track of have increased significantly. The unpredictability of threats also makes cybersecurity so challenging so you always have to be mentally prepared to tackle a problem as soon as it arises. With new technological advances, this unpredictability branches off into various directions, making it difficult, if not impossible to keep track of the numerous possibilities. This increased reliance on technology has by extension, increased our reliance on cybersecurity measures, thereby increasing the workload and expectations from cybersecurity professionals.
- Need for Non-Technical Skills. Along with the prerequisite technical skills that go along with the job description, certain non-technical skills are also required, namely, report-writing, interpersonal communication skills, etc. Many applicants underestimate the need to have the skill to write well as it is required for them in order to document their work and make project reports. The higher you move up with promotions, the more soft skills you would be required to have which may include anything from making a budget to negotiating with clients.
- Are you Passionate about It? It is a question worth asking yourself before choosing a career path, especially one which would demand your complete investment such as cybersecurity. Your passion would change the way you view the challenges that might come your way. Rather than seeing them as obstacles, you might see them as learning opportunities. If you are honest with yourself about pursuing cybersecurity, these challenges would be enjoyable rather than stressful and would ensure that you view your professional life as dynamic and not overbearing.
Cyber Security can be Easier Than Other Options
Contrary to what some people believe, cybersecurity at the degree level is not considered the most daunting field of expertise. There are other programs in science and engineering areas that take the cake. Here are some reasons why cybersecurity is not as difficult as you may think:
- Easier Math and Science Requirements. When we talk of a subject being hard, we naturally compare it to other subjects that are somewhat related to it. When compared to requirements in other courses, science consisted of one lab-based course and a math course requirement was lower level, likened to college statistics or math. Some math programs did not even include calculus. Other engineering and science courses, on the other hand, included calculus and multiple lab-based science courses
- Do Not Require a Technical Background. Courses in cybersecurity did not require that the students have prior technical knowledge at the time of joining the course. Some programs are accelerated but they do not expect the students to know everything beforehand and that is why there are introductory technical courses at the beginning of the degree, like, introduction to cybersecurity, introduction to computers, or computer repair. This contrasts to other programs that require basic knowledge from the students on which the courses during the degree program build up. While there are courses with no requirement of technical knowledge, other cybersecurity courses also take technical placement tests. So based on where you want to be placed, you can work on your technical skills before considering applying for a degree.
- Lab Requirements are Not Research-Based. Lab Requirements are not extensive and do not take up a lot of the students’ time. Moreover, whatever lab courses a cybersecurity course does have are directly related to the core course material so that students can directly apply what they have learned into practice. They are also easier to tackle because the students are not required to do extensive research like in other science engineering courses during their lab courses.
- Moderate Writing and Research Requirements. The research projects in cybersecurity courses are not extensive. They might be mandatory but do not take a toll on students as other research projects in science and engineering might do. Research projects in cybersecurity allow for the students to cultivate their understanding with minimal to moderate intensive research. Less research does not mean that there would be fewer expectations from the students. Make sure you use your time to build your skills.
How Can You Make a Career in Cyber Security?
On the educational front, making a career in cybersecurity would require you to have a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience. Other than this, you can look up different resources to familiarize yourself with the field and make you well-prepared for your future endeavors.
- You should begin by reading up books on cybersecurity that cater to both beginners and experts. You can scour the internet for any information you might need.
- You can opt for a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Systems Engineering, etc. Both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree have value in the cybersecurity market. But do not consider them to be sole requirements as the learning process is neverending in the field.
- Make sure you get certified before practicing as many companies now require proper certification before hiring on top of degrees. Certification would ensure you know about the prevalent practices in your field in detail while also advertising that you have another level of specialization others may not necessarily have.
- Consider gaining work experience in the form of internships in fields like incident detection and response, and forensics.
- Don’t be hesitant to try ethical hacking. It allows you to experience firsthand how the threat works which would eventually equip you to understand and tackle the threat better.
- Make sure you work on your critical thinking and problem-solving skills as your attitude while approaching problems would help you in the long run.
- Do not take communication skills for granted. Cybersecurity is not a one-person job most of the time. And even if it is, you still have to communicate with others to get work done so make sure you are contributing to a calm workplace environment and building up a clientele if you come in contact with customers.
Salary Expectations
One big motivation to consider picking up cybersecurity is the salary. Whether you are a Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Security Analyst, Information Security Analyst, Information Security Engineer, or Network Security Engineer, you can expect to be paid handsomely for your expertise. The annual salary based on the career path can vary from $79,249 to over one million dollars. The salary varies depending on the companies offering the employment opportunities and is based on the job description.
Conclusion
If you consider yourself truly interested in the field of cybersecurity, you should not hesitate and hold yourself back just because you think it is hard. Instead, you should explore all the options and pathways available to you and decide how you want to make your cybersecurity career. Visiting the college and reviewing the program syllabus beforehand would allow you to be well-equipped with information to be unable to adjust expectations about your course and become aware of what is expected of you.
If you are truly determined to succeed in this field, opportunities that might seem stressful to others would seem enjoyable to you. Conversely, this field would only appear hard to you if you perceive it as hard based on the opinion of others without seeing it for yourself. Moreover, your zeal and passion for this field would also impact your perception when you look forward to making a career in cybersecurity.
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