Marcel
What do I need to do to be able to work in Cyber Security?
My name is Marcel and I´m 17 years old. I have thought about what I want to be in life and that is a couple of different things. I have thought about doing something in cybersecurity, gaming, social media, application designer, or something in the technology field relate to those categories. I would like to attend college at the University of Maryland but am willing to hear other options helping me get my goals in life. Thanks for your time! - Marcel #technology #cyber-security #cybersecurity #gaming #gaming-industry #mobile-applications #career-goals #social-media
4 answers
Victoria German
Victoria’s Answer
This is a great question and this is a super time to be looking at all the fields that you mentioned: cyber security, gaming, social media, application designer, and related technology fields. All of these fields fall into the area of STEM careers in general - so google STEM because there may be many more careers that you would be interested in pursuing. There are 4 million STEM jobs right now that need to be filled in the US by professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math.
All of the areas you mentioned have a common denominator: security. Security is evolving rapidly, mostly because of the Internet of Things (IoT). We are moving from computers that took up rooms the size of baseball fields to miniaturized computers that are the size of a pencil eraser. These sensors are in everything: cars, drones, your frig, clothing, fitbits - you name it. Securing these new devices is going to be a very exciting field.
If you choose gaming or application design you will need to ensure that you design code and devices with security baked into the device. So to learn more about all these areas, I think you would really enjoy becoming a student member of groups like ISC2.org or ISSA.org. These are security groups that have members and mentors in all different industries trying to solve a bunch of amazing new challenges. Student memberships are reasonable and often there are volunteer opportunities. By networking and volunteering with one of these organizations, you will start to learn about new technologies and applied security. This will start to guide you to topics and experts that will make your path more clear.
Another thing you might consider is cooperative education, look for schools that let you work and go to school at the same time. You will have some experience before you graduate and many times the employer will help pay the cost of college. Also google cyber security scholarships to see opportunities to help pay for school.
The really great thing about technology careers is that many times you can get amazing training at a community college and get certified in needed fields like Cisco networking, programming, web design, and so many other things - community college teachers are applied technologists and you will work on real world problems.
There are also great online options for cyber security or information technology certifications and/or degrees. You can work toward a college degree and certifications at the same time. Check out WGU.edu for an example of this type of program. California has many amazing IT and cyber opportunities right in your backyard but it's also good to try college out of state too.
Make sure you read as much as you can every day about new trends and technical news from a variety of news feeds. Every time you see something you really like, bookmark it. After a couple of weeks, go back and look at all the topics you liked. This will guide you toward the areas that are most interesting to you. Remember that most technologists have 5 - 10 different jobs throughout their careers and these fields are advancing so fast there are new jobs created all the time.
We really need good people in cyber security and really in all technical professions. Whatever path you take, please make sure you always consider secure coding and secure design as your number one requirement.
I think you will really like this career path!
stem , cyber-security, internet-of-things
Samuel Cameron
Samuel’s Answer
I love answering questions like this. Being in Cyber security for seven years now, I've seen a lot of different types of people in the field. For example, we have tons of Coding guys that work with me now in threat analytics. In my old job, we had tons of system administrators and vulnerability analyst. Regardless of your speciality (whether it be coding, gaming, networking, etc) there is a place for you in cyber security. Get yourself out there by finding meetups (Theres an app called "MeetUp" that i really like) and network with other people that share your passions. To get into Cyber security, make sure you have great attention to detail, composure under pressure, and most of all, make sure you're doing something you are truly passionate about.
Samuel recommends the following next steps:
Jim Mcconnell
Jim’s Answer
Marcel, (Cyber) Security is a great field, a very wide variety of sub-areas you can do under this field, from development to system administration, to security administration, to forensics, to investigations, to threat management, to ________. I would suggest you look into the certification called Security+ and also study job postings on LinkedIn to get an idea of the latest needs in this industry. Budget your time/finances for training, don't just depend on your employer/high school/college to being your only training source. Learn soft skills like presentation / speaking skills. Learn how to do interviews. Also consider internships in technology and industries that peak your interest.
Michael Zoladz
Michael’s Answer
I am currently in school for my Bachelors in Cyber Security. You should focus on getting a degree in Cyber Security as well as certifications as they prove you have the hands on knowledge to do the skills necessary to work in the field. I am working on Security + and will be working on CISSP. There are a lot of certifications out there related so do a google search and see which others you would like to get also. I attend Western Governors University and the degree program for Cyber Security includes a lot of certifications with your tuition so you may want to look into their program. I wish you the best of luck!