Criminal justice careers are quite plentiful in America and the world now, yet there isn’t any career today quite like cybersecurity. Evidence is available showing it as the leader in not only criminal justice careers, but the fastest growing career above all. Recently, The Christian Science Monitor did an extensive report about how cybersecurity is booming while still having plenty room to grow.
In the above piece, they say the cybersecurity market will grow exponentially to $156 billion before the end of the decade. It’s not surprising when the same report has us using 50 billion Internet-connected devices by the next decade that are all vulnerable to online threats.
With major companies already dealing with cyber attacks nearly every day (some unknowingly), you can see why cybersecurity job demand is soaring. Regardless, in the above Christian Science Monitor report, cybersecurity has yet to see anyone dominating in the field.
It’s an opportunity for you to get in now before this career becomes overly crowded with applicants. Because you have a five-year window of career growth, it gives you time to gain an education.
Yes, you do need a decent college degree in order to get the best cybersecurity jobs, no matter if you have self-taught IT skills and talent.
Earning Degrees in Cybersecurity
Many cybersecurity jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, if not even a master’s in order to obtain the best jobs. A bachelor’s degree is really just a small step because of the complex technical nature in finding security solutions to IT infrastructure. Solutions in this career are never easy, and more extensive knowledge helps you get one step ahead of hackers who evolve quickly.
As you seek your bachelor’s degree first, you should major in computer science so you have the basic foundations in place. In many cases, you can take a minor in cybersecurity as you learn computer science as a method of educational consolidation. This isn’t to say you can’t find majors in cybersecurity within most universities.
If you already have a strong foundation in computer science, majoring directly in cybersecurity helps you work with more practical methods on solving problems. This focuses on particular strategies and technologies available today to combat the worst threats.
Once you get a master’s degree, you get into more complex territory on solving cybersecurity issues. Some people already working in cybersecurity take time to expand their skills midstream by seeking a master’s. When they do, they update what they already know since cyber threats are evolving by the day. You’ll also learn about evidence collecting and business continuity plans that give stepping-stones to solving crimes.
When working in cybersecurity from an investigative point of view, you’ll learn about intelligence and policy so you have a grasp of the cyber criminal mind.
What You’ll Do and Where You Might Work
To show evidence of the criminal justice side, cybersecurity experts work almost in the role of a detective. You’ll be investigating the source of hacker crimes while also repairing technology and using preventative methods.
Because many cybersecurity attacks cause downtime, you have to learn how to take care of these issues in a hurry for a company. When you work for the federal government, it’s even more imperative to find fast solutions. More so, investigating the source of the crime will take time, just like it takes time for a private investigator to investigate crimes.
Keep in mind that you can go into business for yourself now in cybersecurity and make considerable money. With extremes in working alone or with the public, you’ll likely have to testify often in criminal cases when a cyber criminal is finally apprehended.
Contact us here at Legal.Education to find out more about criminal justice careers and the possibilities in the cybersecurity field.