6 answers
Devin
Student
Woodbridge, Virginia
1
Question
Asked
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What type of jobs may I get with a computer science degree in terms of cybersecurity?
I am taking interest in a cybersecurity job but I am taking computer science to explore different fields of computing.
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6 answers
Carlos Tiburcio
Senior Program Manager
15
Answers
Guadalajara
Updated
Carlos’s Answer
Hi Devin,
With a Computer Science degree, there are several roles you can perform, like:
- Security Analyst.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
- Vulnerability Analyst / Penetration Tester
- Cybersecurity Technician
- Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Analyst.
If you want to pursue a career in Cybersecurity, I'd advise you get certifications around it, like Certified Ethical Hacker, CompTIA or more advanced and complete like CISSP.
Wish you the best of successes!
With a Computer Science degree, there are several roles you can perform, like:
- Security Analyst.
- Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
- Vulnerability Analyst / Penetration Tester
- Cybersecurity Technician
- Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Analyst.
If you want to pursue a career in Cybersecurity, I'd advise you get certifications around it, like Certified Ethical Hacker, CompTIA or more advanced and complete like CISSP.
Wish you the best of successes!
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1464
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Hey Devin!
It’s great that you’re exploring computer science and cybersecurity—it’s an exciting field with so many possibilities. If you’re focusing on cybersecurity specifically, there are a lot of roles you could aim for, but honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what fits best. You could look into roles like a Cybersecurity Analyst, where you'd monitor systems for threats, or maybe even Penetration Testing, where you’d try to find vulnerabilities by simulating attacks (in a legal way, of course). There’s also Incident Response, which involves reacting to and handling security breaches when they happen.
But, here’s the thing buddy, there are so many different paths in cybersecurity that it’s hard to know for sure what’s the best fit until you get more into it. I think the key is to gain practical experience, maybe through internships, projects, or even certifications like CompTIA Security+, because that’ll help you understand which direction you want to go. And remember, your computer science degree will give you the flexibility to pivot if you find a different area that sparks your interest too!
It’s definitely an exciting journey, but also one where you’ll likely be figuring things out as you go. You’ve got the right mindset, just keep learning and exploring Devin, hope this helps and if you got any concerns feel free to ask.
Software Engineer/Developer – Build and design applications, websites, and software systems for a variety of industries.
Database Administrator (DBA) is the filed to Manage and secure databases, ensuring that they are optimized, backed up, and accessible when needed.
IT Consultant – Advise organizations on how to best use technology to meet their business goals, including solutions for security, software, and hardware.
AI Engineer here you would Work on building and improving artificial intelligence systems that automate tasks, make decisions, or interact with users.
Network Engineer in this field you basically Build, maintain, and secure networks, ensuring they’re operating effectively and free from vulnerabilities.
It’s great that you’re exploring computer science and cybersecurity—it’s an exciting field with so many possibilities. If you’re focusing on cybersecurity specifically, there are a lot of roles you could aim for, but honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what fits best. You could look into roles like a Cybersecurity Analyst, where you'd monitor systems for threats, or maybe even Penetration Testing, where you’d try to find vulnerabilities by simulating attacks (in a legal way, of course). There’s also Incident Response, which involves reacting to and handling security breaches when they happen.
But, here’s the thing buddy, there are so many different paths in cybersecurity that it’s hard to know for sure what’s the best fit until you get more into it. I think the key is to gain practical experience, maybe through internships, projects, or even certifications like CompTIA Security+, because that’ll help you understand which direction you want to go. And remember, your computer science degree will give you the flexibility to pivot if you find a different area that sparks your interest too!
It’s definitely an exciting journey, but also one where you’ll likely be figuring things out as you go. You’ve got the right mindset, just keep learning and exploring Devin, hope this helps and if you got any concerns feel free to ask.
Dr recommends the following next steps:
Michael McNally
IT Director
3
Answers
New Haven, Connecticut
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Something to consider would be an IT auditor / IT consultant role with a public accounting firm. All of the Big 4 CPA firms, as well as mid-sized national firms, and many smaller regional firms perform this type of work. On a very high level, these types of positions often focus on working with clients to ensure proper security measures are in place for their team and, more broadly, entire departments within their companies. If you are unfamiliar with IT Audit, it's worth a look. IT auditors evaluate security measures in place within a given company and offer guidance on how to strengthen those measures to ensure certain security standards are met. If you were to work in Internal audit, you'd be working within a single company as part of their audit department (for example, Apple, etc). On the flipside, if you worked in External IT audit (i.e. a public accounting firm / consulting firm), you'd likely have a large number of companies you work with (your "clients") which offers many great learning opportunities. The external audit profession gives you exposure to all sorts of companies and many different types of IT environments. External audit is a great way to grow your IT knowledge and help the IT departments of both big and small companies continue to grow. I've had the opportunity to work with billion dollar companies as well as small start ups and everything in between. Another benefit of external audit is the number of people you'll meet in your career - working with a larger number of clients keeps your day to day work fresh and new and allows for great learning and networking opportunities. If you're into IT, I'd definitely recommend researching IT audit work. Hope that helps a bit.
Jennifer Nasr
Cybersecurity Analyst
12
Answers
Lake Mary, Florida
Updated
Jennifer’s Answer
Hi Devin!! With a computer science degree and an interest in cybersecurity, you open the door to a wide range of job opportunities in the field. Common entry-level cybersecurity roles include:
• Security Analyst – monitors systems for security breaches and analyzes incidents.
• Security Engineer – builds and maintains secure systems and infrastructure.
• Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker) – tests systems for vulnerabilities before attackers find them.
• Incident Responder – investigates and contains security breaches.
• GRC Analyst (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) – ensures organizations follow cybersecurity regulations and policies.
Your CS foundation gives you the flexibility to explore many areas in cybersecurity—whether it’s coding secure software, managing cloud security, or diving into threat intelligence. I currently work in the field as a Security Analyst and love it! I know you will find a spot within the Computer Science industry that you will excel in!
• Security Analyst – monitors systems for security breaches and analyzes incidents.
• Security Engineer – builds and maintains secure systems and infrastructure.
• Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker) – tests systems for vulnerabilities before attackers find them.
• Incident Responder – investigates and contains security breaches.
• GRC Analyst (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) – ensures organizations follow cybersecurity regulations and policies.
Your CS foundation gives you the flexibility to explore many areas in cybersecurity—whether it’s coding secure software, managing cloud security, or diving into threat intelligence. I currently work in the field as a Security Analyst and love it! I know you will find a spot within the Computer Science industry that you will excel in!
Jori Lane
Senior Manager of Educational Programs at Xerox
8
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Jori’s Answer
If you're shooting for a career in cybersecurity, a computer science degree is a great starting point. It gives you the technical foundation you’ll need like programming, systems, and networks.
Are you more interested in working on the development side or do you have an outgoing personality that would make you a candidate for a sales role? If sales is a condieration, with your technical background, you’ll be able to understand the products you're selling—whether it's software, cybersecurity solutions, cloud services, or IT hardware—and explain their value clearly to customers. This makes you especially valuable in roles like technical sales engineer, solutions consultant, or software sales representative, where clients often need help understanding how a product works or how it fits into their systems.
Are you more interested in working on the development side or do you have an outgoing personality that would make you a candidate for a sales role? If sales is a condieration, with your technical background, you’ll be able to understand the products you're selling—whether it's software, cybersecurity solutions, cloud services, or IT hardware—and explain their value clearly to customers. This makes you especially valuable in roles like technical sales engineer, solutions consultant, or software sales representative, where clients often need help understanding how a product works or how it fits into their systems.
Vidhya Piramanayagam
Software Engineer
10
Answers
Piscataway Township, New Jersey
Updated
Vidhya’s Answer
Security Analyst - Keeps an eye on systems to spot threats and shields networks from attacks.
Ethical Hacker - Identifies weaknesses in systems before real hackers can exploit them.
Security Engineer - Creates tools and systems to safeguard networks and applications.
Incident Responder - Manages and resolves real-time attacks as they occur.
Cybersecurity Consultant - Guides companies on staying safe and following security practices.
Digital Forensic Expert - Traces and identifies attackers.
Ethical Hacker - Identifies weaknesses in systems before real hackers can exploit them.
Security Engineer - Creates tools and systems to safeguard networks and applications.
Incident Responder - Manages and resolves real-time attacks as they occur.
Cybersecurity Consultant - Guides companies on staying safe and following security practices.
Digital Forensic Expert - Traces and identifies attackers.