How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer
As a cyber security engineer, it will be your work to develop, implement, and upgrade security measures geared towards keeping hackers away. Even though this might sound simple, it is nothing short of a chaotic battlefront where the Black Hat and the White Hat cyber security experts joust for supremacy.
With cyber attacks becoming more rampant, cyber security engineers are no longer elite special experts employed by defense contractors and government agencies. Almost every other company or business that handles delicate digital data will need a cyber security expert to keep the wrong people from accessing the information they have, or crashing their web based infrastructure.
A Creative Mind and the Right Education
Working as a cyber security engineer is like being a master builder. Even though most of the groundwork will be in terms of the good old firewall configurations and vulnerability scans, you will need a creative mind that can adapt to different attacks as they trickle in.
Hackers are highly creative and will always look for unconventional or unexplored ways to identify and exploit a system’s zero-day vulnerabilities. You will need an equally creative mindset that can combine what you read in class with natural wit to come up with a practical solution.
How to Become a Cyber Security Engineer
Earning a bachelor’s degree in cyber security or related field like computer science or information technology must be the first step. An associate degree is an introductory degree which can get you started, but a bachelor's degree is more likely to get you noticed.
Be ready for programming, statistics, computer forensics, networking, and ethics classes that will hone you into a creative and informed person. The degree will give you the basics. It is up to you to improve on this by being diligent and taking on advanced training.
With modern day courses getting more practical by the day, a good institution will engage you with hands-on training and other practical exercises like:
- Exploring hacker and intrusion software
- Network security lessons
- Cryptography
- Information system maintenance
- Program testing
Experience is Mandatory
In as much as any decent institution will try to make you as market ready as possible, you will still have to do a lot of learning on your own to rise up the ranks. Cyber security experts earn reputation by being the very best in handling old threats and the latest intrusions with skill and professionalism. Such skill only comes with experience and dedication to the cause.
To gain experience, you might have to intern with a cyber security related company or organization. In most cases, a year or two will be enough to gain confidence.
Apart from just working with authorities in cyber security, you can advance your education in a specific niche to become an expert. A master’s degree could give you the chance to advance on to new challenges when you're ready.
Earn the CISSP Certification
The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium offers a wide range of CISSP certifications that will be proof of your competence in cyber security. To get your certification, you should have practiced for at least five years, passed a background check and passed the CISSP exam.
Other than just earning this certification, you can further improve your reputation in the industry by being at the center of the action and using your creativity to come up with innovative solutions that work. Always aspire to be a step ahead and explore genius ways to plug holes in a system before they occur.
Most cyber attacks cascade. Having a solution ready for each stage will not only save the institution you work for, but also give you a chance of being recognized within the industry.
Stay Up-to-Date on Cyber Security Information
Be part of a professional group to stay updated with the latest advances in cyber security. Reading wide and peering into the minds and solutions of your fellow professionals helps expand your own understanding. This is crucial in the fast-paced technology world, where new solutions and loopholes are developed and perfected by the minute.
Can you see yourself working in the fast-paced world of cyber security? If you're considering a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Cyber and Network Security - Cybersecurity Track, find out more information about ECPI University's degree program. With an accelerated schedule and year-round classes you could earn your degree sooner. For more information, connect with an admissions advisor today and discuss your options.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.