Information security is a field of IT, where the name itself suggests what it is all about. Where IT is for information technology, there the path that relates to the security, such as taking a firearm safety course, of that information used in the technologies in this field. The several threats to data in the field of IT have always been making headlines these days in different parts of the world.
Threats to data, theft of data, misuse of data, copying of data for unauthorized or criminal work, all are common throughout the world. The words like cybercrime, data theft, online security breach, phishing, etc. has become too popular.
That is why the need to secure data arises in any and every such place where data is stored, used, and transferred. Thus the information security career path is another booming scope in IT which shows immense potential in giving you a great platform to grab a good job, develop more and earn great.
The scope for information security
If you look around you, you would see data theft and cybercrime has become so very common these days. As the load in cash transactions have diminished a lot with wallet based, UPI based, card based, and online transactions, the prying eyes are now on these modes of transaction and money transfer and are not fully secure unless you follow the rules or use a secure mode of transfer. But the world has to go on, and thus the level of security in every such transaction needs to be of such uber level that security breaches can be minimized to zero. And that is what all businesses are after. Hence the need for information security professionals is utmost in the IT industry.
A software or hardware in IT may still go on without a major upgrade for a few years in functionality, but a program without enough security measures cannot go on. Especially, when programs and utilities deal with important data of people, then it has to be maintained with that much of security and support so that no data theft disaster happens. Or else common man would also suffer, and the businesses who are in charge of the data would also get devastated. Therefore it’s evident that the scope of information security is in no way decreasing but actually is increasing exponentially in the coming years.
The responsibility for information security experts
The more sophisticated the system would be made in terms of security, the higher the minds would run who are trying to steal data and break open into a system. That’s is why the job of an information security professional is to constantly upgrade systems for more security while changing patterns often which cannot be easily tracked by criminal minds.
Types of jobs in cybersecurity and information security
The various types of jobs that can be explored in this field are as follows:
· Security Analyst jobs
· Security admin
· Security engineer
· Security consultant
· Security architect
· Security software developer
· Cryptanalyst
· Cryptographer
These and more types of jobs are possible in this field. As you can see above, the various job roles all do not demand the same type of work. Where some jobs are about planning, some are about consulting, some are about programming, and some are about management and problem solving this means the professional in information security must be an expert in every way to cater to any of these. Or the person may also specialize in any of these sub-fields by further enhancing job skills while working in a project or being under an employer.
How to start a career in information security?
Choosing an IT career is perhaps one of the most daunting tasks because there are really so many different branches in IT that a beginner would really get confused. But as you slowly dig into things and learn more about the huge field of IT, you would know that there might be certain sections in IT which interest you more. Or possibly you have some skills which are more suited for some field in IT. In this way, when you realize that you are attracted to study information security, then you must start learning about the certification courses available near you to pursue this line.
Finally
You must gather knowledge and adequate certifications by completing relevant courses to proceed in any field of IT. Same is with this field of information security. Here also you need to go through basic to advanced certificate courses. And then you may get a job in it. There also, if you believe that what you have learned is all, then you may soon see stagnancy in your career. To constantly grow, you must stay updated with all the latest technological advancements in information security. Also choose the institution for the course carefully, so that you get proper recognition for the certificate.